Hearts and Daggers
by Sincere Friendship
Summary: After almost four years of no contact, Mimi's family returns to Japan with Michael in tow. As feelings grow deeper, egos clash and hearts are broken. Crossover. MIMATO. Ongoing.
1. Chapter 1 Life in America

(**Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon, its characters, nor the plot. Take note that this is MIMATO so if you're not a fan, don't read it. I respect those who are not fans of this couple, but I will not tolerate spamming and flames from them.)

Matt, Tai, Sora – 17 (Juniors)  
Mimi, Koushiro, Michael – 16 (Juniors)  
TK, Kari, Daisuke – 14 (Freshmen)  
Ken, Miyako – 15 (Sophomores)  
Jou – 18 (Senior)  
Iori – 13 (Third year middle school)

_**Hearts and Daggers**_

**Chapter 1: Life in America**

New York City, Mimi's House

Mimi woke up with the smell of French toast and maple syrup in the air. She yawned and looked at her alarm clock. 5:30 am. She realized it hadn't rung and that she had woken up an hour early. She got up out of bed and headed for the shower.

For today's school wear, she picked a pair of indigo skinny jeans and a berry-colored pleated chiffon top with ruffle details at the shoulders, mock neck, down the button front, and drawstring drop waist with tie. She grabbed her long hair and pinned it up in a messy lopsided bun with wavy strands left out at the bottom. After putting on her pearl bracelets and applying light makeup, she grabbed her white ruffle tote and black ruffle flats and headed downstairs.

"Oh, you're up already." Mimi's mother had just finished making breakfast. "I was just about to wake you."

Mimi tossed her shoes by the door. "No need. Where's daddy?" She sat down on the seat by the counter and took a swig of her orange juice, eyeing the extra plate. "Shouldn't he be at work already?"

"He's still sleeping. There were some changes at work, but he didn't tell me. He said he'd talk to us later when you get home from school." Mimi's mother sat down next to her and took a helping of her breakfast.

"Do you think it's something bad?"

"I have no idea. Now go finish your breakfast and head to school."

Mimi finished the last of her French toast and headed to the washroom to brush her teeth. _I wonder what's going on… I hope my dad isn't getting fired…_

"I'm leaving." She headed for the door and put on her shoes. "See you after school."

Central Park

Mimi leaned against the side of her lime-green Volkswagen Beetle convertible as she waited impatiently for Michael to meet her. She checked her phone. _What the hell is taking him so long?_ She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

A group of guys passed by, whistling and hooting as they checked her out. She thought about showing them a nasty finger but she knew it would just bring her trouble. Instead, she turned her head and ignored them. Just when they started approaching her, Michael emerged from the side of the street, running towards her. The guys turned around and walked away.

He waved. "Sorry I'm late!"

"Like hell you are. You're always late." A strong hint of irritation was evident in her voice.

He leaned in to kiss her but she turned her head and his kiss landed on her cheek.

"Next time you make me wait, you're walking to school." She got up and opened her car door.

"I'm sorry. I know I've been relying on you a lot lately."

"You should've thought about that before you wrecked your car last week, Michael. Not only do I have to give you a ride to school every day, but you also ask me to give you rides all over the damn place every time your friends have plans. You don't even pay for my gas! And on top of that, you _always_ make me wait. I'm not a chauffeur, you know."

"I said I was sorry. How many times do you have to point that out to me?"

"I'm your girlfriend, Michael. Every time you do something reckless, the people around you get hurt. Just think about that next time."

"Okay already, I got it. Sorry."

Mimi sighed. She knew it wouldn't work like always. "So what was it you needed to talk to me about?"

"Oh yeah, my dad's getting transferred."

Mimi turned to face him quickly. "What?"

"Yeah, he told me last night… him and a senior partner, they're going to get transferred to expand the company. It'll provide a lot of opportunities for working people. Or so I heard."

"Where to?"

"Japan."

Mimi closed her eyes. "Hm… let me guess…" She looked at him. "…you're leaving too."

Michael shrugged. "Well if I'm going to inherit the family business, I gotta stick to family."

"Great. So what the hell am I supposed to do, Michael? Wait for you to come back?!"

He shook his head and smiled. "Let's not worry about it right now. You'll know the details later."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Tell me, right now."

"I can't." He hopped into Mimi's passenger seat. "I was told not to say a thing to anybody. At least I told you a little bit so please, just be patient."

Mimi knew she couldn't get anything more out of him and she was pissed. "Whatever, Michael. Just don't screw things up."

She started the engine and drove off to school.

School

The school bell wasn't going to ring for another fifteen minutes, but as soon as Mimi and Michael entered the school building, he excused himself and headed over to where his friends were. Mimi was left alone standing in the hall.

"Ass…" She walked to her locker by herself.

Being head cheerleader and majorette, Mimi had friends, but ever since she moved to America, she didn't really make another best friend. She felt that if she got attached to someone, she'll have to move somewhere far away again. She just couldn't take that. She still held on to her friends, the chosen children, though it's been about three years since she last saw them. Since she's been so wrapped up in her relationship with Michael, she hadn't made time to call or meet the others in the Digital World. Things were just too different now.

She looked in Michael's direction. He was hanging out with his friends. She hated it, but she was used to it. After dating for a year, things became different between the two of them. Since she'd been rejecting his sexual advances, his friends took most of his time. He was the captain of the basketball team and he was popular. Girls want him and one time, she even caught him flirting back. She knew her relationship was heading in the wrong direction, but she couldn't just leave him. She loved him. Not only were they friends for a long time, but he's also one of the chosen children. Surely there must be something good left in him. She didn't want to believe that he'd become completely corrupted by adolescence.

She slammed her locker and headed to class. She's been down about her relationship lately, she completely forgot about the talk that would set the gears in motion.

Mimi's house

She drove straight home right after school. She didn't wait for him to take him home. She didn't want to think about Michael. The very thought pissed her off.

She went straight to her room and took a nice long shower. She had no intention of getting out of her room so she dressed in her summer pajamas; a white wife-beater top with peach-colored lining and lime green pajama shorts. To take her mind off of things, she went online to check her email. None. She couldn't just ask to see her friends in the Digital World also. She wouldn't know what to say.

She lay on her bed and closed her eyes. Before she could drift off to sleep, she heard a knock on her door.

"Mimi, honey, are you awake?" It was her father.

Mimi groaned. "Sadly…" She got up and opened the door.

"Sorry to wake you, but there's something important we need to talk about… as a family."

"Okay, I'll be right down." She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and dragged herself down the stairs. She sat on the couch in the living room where her parents sat.

"What was so important you had to drag me out of my beauty sleep?" Mimi was being sarcastic. She was not in the mood to talk.

"Beauty sleep? It's 4 o'clock."

"Same thing, mom. I was going to sleep anyway."

"You forgot about this morning already? Your father had something important to talk about concerning his work, remember?"

"Oh yeah… sorry." She looked at her father seriously. "What is it, daddy?"

"Well… this isn't easy to just drop on you…" He rubbed his temples. "The company's growing and they've decided to expand business to other countries." He looked at them both. "I was assigned for transfer to Japan with a senior partner."

Mimi and her mother gasped. For some reason, Mimi wasn't expecting to hear it, despite what Michael had told her.

"For how long, daddy?"

"Well… that's the thing…" He mumbled.

Mimi strained to hear. "What?"

"We're going to have to relocate again. Both me and Michael's father were assigned as executives in charge of the branch in Japan."

"Where in Japan?"

"Tokyo. I already put a down payment on a lovely house there and we'll be able to move in as soon as we get there. I thought about it and your mother and I both agree that if you preferred, we could rent you an apartment we've been remodeling in Odaiba, so you can be close to your old friends. Your mother and I will be close by so you can drive to us whenever you want."

"And Michael's moving too, so it shouldn't be too hard for you to decide, right, honey?"

"We also bought a new car to go with your apartment. I think you'll like it."

Mimi's stomach churned. It's not that her family would have to move to Japan; it's that Michael is moving there too. She knows it's a horrible thing to think about since he is her boyfriend, but for some reason, it didn't feel right. She felt that somehow, Michael would get in between her and her friends.

"Mimi, honey, are you all right?" Her mother touched her shoulder.

She snapped out of it. "I'm fine, mom. Sorry about that."

"I leave for Japan in two days. I have to take care of the preparations for the company and your apartment and school. Your flight has been booked for next week. I would appreciate it if you took care of your business until then."

"So you're saying that we don't have a choice then?"

"I'm afraid not." He looked down. "I'm sorry, Mimi. This must be hard for you…"

"It's okay, daddy. Let's just get this over it." Mimi got up.

Her father reached out. "Honey, where are you going?"

"I'm going upstairs to call Michael. I won't be eating dinner tonight. I'm too tired." She headed up the stairs.

"But Mimi, about the apartment in Odaiba…"

Mimi turned. "Sure, daddy. That'd be great." She smiled weakly. "Goodnight." She called back before shutting the door behind her.

Mimi's parents looked at each other. "Do you think she's angry?"

"I don't know. But what can we do?"

Mimi's Room

She took a deep breath as she pushed herself off the door and texted on her cell phone. She threw on a pair of jeans over her pajama shorts, her black short-sleeved cardigan over her white wife-beater and grabbed a pair of flip flops. After she got a reply, she put her phone in the back of her jean pocket and made sure her door was locked before heading out her bedroom window.

Central Park

Michael was already waiting for Mimi by the time she got there. Mimi looked at him in surprise.

"Michael… you're… here."

"Yeah, I didn't want to make you wait." He smiled. "And I figured your father would've talked to you by now."

Mimi sat on the bench table and looked at him. "How long have you known?"

"Just last night. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Mimi shook her head. "It doesn't matter. It's not like I have a choice."

Michael put his arm around her shoulder. "How are you handling this?"

"Better than I thought. I mean honestly, I don't really care. My parents offered to get me an apartment in Odaiba, close to my old friends. They also got me a new car. What a way to convince a person, huh?" She leaned her head on him.

"Well, that's a good deal, isn't it? I could even move in with you."

"What?" Mimi turned abruptly to him. "Move in with me?"

"I asked your father already and he said he trusted me with your life. He thought that it might even help you deal with the move better. What do you think?"

"I… I think it's great." She smiled at him. To Mimi, it might even give their relationship a chance.

He leaned in and kissed her. "Feel better?"

"Yeah. Thanks." She looked away, unsure of how she felt about it.

Mimi's Room

She snuggled under the covers and thought about the days to come. She closed her eyes and though she had her doubts about the Michael thing, she smiled, her spirits raised high in excitement.

_I'll finally get to see my friends! I can't wait to hear what they have to say!_

_End of Chapter 1_

(A/N: I'm open to criticisms. Let me know how you like my new revisions.)


	2. Chapter 2 Departure

(**Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon, its characters, nor the plot. Take note that this is MIMATO so if you're not a fan, don't read it. I respect those who are not fans of this couple, but I will not tolerate spamming and flames from them.)

Matt, Tai, Sora – 17 (Juniors)  
Mimi, Koushiro, Michael – 16 (Juniors)  
TK, Kari, Daisuke – 14 (Freshmen)  
Ken, Miyako – 15 (Sophomores)  
Jou – 18 (Senior)  
Iori – 13 (Third year middle school)

(A/N: I used New York time and Japan time. Mimi's flight is at 10 A.M. in New York which is midnight in Japan. I apologize for future confusions.)

_**Hearts and Daggers**_

**Chapter 2: Surprises**

Mimi's House

Six days have passed since the big news. Mimi was successfully pulled out of her current school and transferred into Odaiba Gakuen by her father since then. Since she didn't really have any best friends, she didn't need any big goodbyes. She only had to announce to the cheerleading team and her classes that she was leaving.

Mimi sighed and grabbed her Samsung Glyde. She needed a break from all that packing. Her plane leaves tomorrow morning and she's done nothing all day but pack. She slid the phone open and contemplated sending a text message to her long time best friend. But she breathed out and slid the phone shut, instead scrolling through her contacts. _Takenouchi Sora._

Mimi pressed the call button. _It's probably around seven in the morning there…_

She waited anxiously as the phone rang.

"_Moshi moshi, Sora-desu."_

"Hello, Sora?"

"_Mimi…? Is that you?"_

"Yeah, is this a bad time?"

"_No, gosh no. I just woke up. Wow, Mimi, we haven't talked in almost four years? How are you? I missed you."_

"I'm okay. I missed you too. Sorry… for not calling all this time."

"_It's okay, Mimi. You'll always be my best friend, you know that, right?"_

"Of course. Same here. So, listen, there's something I want to tell you, but I would appreciate it if you kept it a secret from everybody."

"_What is it? Mimi, are you okay? Has something happened?"_

"Oh no, no, it's not that. I just wanted you to be the first to know that I'm coming back… to Odaiba."

Mimi heard a gasp. _"What? Really?! When? When do you get here? Who will you be staying with?"_

Mimi laughed at her excitement. "Well my flight is tomorrow morning, ten o'clock here. My parents will be living in Tokyo, and to make the move 'easier' on me, they got me my very own apartment in Odaiba."

"_Wow, that's a big step. I probably wouldn't make that leap myself and I'm older than you."_

"Yeah, I know, but I get to go to the same school as you guys. _And_ we get to hang out anytime."

"_Well that's certainly a plus! I can't wait. We have good times ahead of us."_

"I know I can't wait! I hope to see you at Narita around two o'clock. If that's okay. I heard you have a car."

"_Yeah, my mother agreed to buy me a 2009 Toyota Corolla in burgundy. I love it. My first car and it's brand new!"_

"Wow, a 2009! Must be awesome. I wonder what my parents got me…"

"_Well whatever it is, it must be as flashy as you."_ She giggled.

"Totally, huh?" Mimi chuckled.

"_So did you want me to go by myself? Or can I take at least one person with me?"_

"Well I guess you can tell Kari, but not Miyako. She'll be so excited, she might tell everybody. By the way, I heard she was dating Ken."

"_Oh yes… when she found out you were dating Michael, she gave up on him. Ken asked her about month later. I think it's sweet."_

"Why a month after?"

"_Because he wanted to give her time to heal."_ Sora cracked up.

She laughed as well. "Ken's a sweetie. I hope things are well with them."

"_How about you and Michael?"_

"Ah, not so well. I guess you can say we're on thin ice."

"_Why is that?"_

"Well after I rejected him, he just started spending more time with his friends than me. I mean what's the big deal if I don't have sex with him anyway? It's like an American pastime or something. He forgets that I'm still Japanese. To me, sex is a special thing. Something you do with the person you know you'll spend the rest of your life with."

"_I agree. I'm the same way. But I'm sorry to hear that, Mimi…"_

"Well, hopefully this move will give us a chance. My parents got me an apartment close to you guys and he's moving in with me."

"_Wow, that's a big deal. Your parents are okay with it?"_

"Okay with it? My dad gave him permission _without_ consulting with me."

"_He must be trustworthy."_

Mimi scoffed. "Right. My dad just trusts my judgment. Well I better finish packing. I'm barely half done and I'm leaving tomorrow morning already."

Mimi heard her chuckle. _"I'm so glad you're moving back. I can't wait! I will call Kari right away and let her know. Sleep well, Mimi, and have a safe flight."_

"Thank you, Sora. See you tomorrow."

"_Let me know when you've boarded the plane so I can set my alarm."_

"Okay. Bai bai."

"_Bye."_

After hanging up, she resumed packing her things in great speed. _5:30 P.M._ She was too wired to rest so instead, she grabbed her sweater, slipped on her shoes, and went to her car.

She decided to go shopping for her friends back home. She had been so preoccupied the last six days, she completely forgot about it. Hopefully, a couple of hours of shopping will simmer her down enough to help her sleep later on.

JFK Airport

Mimi and her mother made their way to the security checkpoint as Michael got them some lattes. Her mother was on the phone.

Mimi wanted to wear something comfortable so she wore a black and puffy off-the-shoulder silk dress that went above her knees, with billowy sleeves and green polka dots. She wore a wide saddle brown leather belt a little over her waist and matched it with a knee-high two-inch heeled braided buckle boots of the same color. She wore no jewelry except for a pair of bronze chandelier earrings with green glass crystals at the bottom. She decided to leave her hair down since it was a little chilly in the morning.

As they advanced in the line, Michael arrived to give them their lattes. "Here is yours. Try to finish it before security checks you or they'll ask you to get rid of it."

"I know, Michael. This isn't my first time at an airport, you know." She grabbed her latte and took a sip of it.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Sorry. It just makes me uneasy that you have to leave a week before I do."

"At least you're allowed to see me off from the gate."

Michael stroked her hair. "You're really not a morning person. I can tell how cranky you are."

"Yeah, sorry. I'm just tired." She kissed him on the cheek and finished the rest of her latte. "I went shopping till closing."

"You weren't satisfied with the amount of things you had? Couldn't you have gone shopping in Japan?"

She nudged him. "It's not for me. I've just been so busy this whole week with the move that I forgot to buy anything for my friends." She tossed her empty cup into the bin. "I've neglected them since we started dating and I feel like I owe them. I haven't been a very good friend, so since I'm moving back, I'd like to make up for it."

Michael kissed her head. "I'm sure they forgive you. Maybe not Miyako though, since she worshipped you and she had a little bit of a crush on me." He grinned, placing his cell phone, keys and wallet in a plastic bin.

"Okay, Mr. Cocky, whatever you say." She put her saddle brown leather satchel in the same plastic bin and watched as it went through the x-ray machine. She bent over, with Michael supporting her, as she removed her boots and placed them in another bin where her mother's sandals were. She looked at Michael. "Why aren't you taking your shoes off?"

"Because I've already been cleared." He flashed his business pass. "And besides, I'm not getting on the plane, so there's no problem."

Mimi passed through the metal detecting machine and so did Michael. They were cleared. They gathered their belongings and headed to the gate.

Gate

Michael handed Mimi her leather satchel. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." She leaned up to kiss him.

"I'll see you in a week." He kissed her back.

Mimi took out her boarding pass. "You behave yourself."

He laughed. "Sure."

She waved at him as she boarded the plane with her mom ahead of her.

Plane

Mimi looked out her window. The sun shone brightly outside. She checked her phone. _It's midnight in Japan right now… _Before the plane took off, she texted Sora.

"_I've boarded the plane. See you in 14 hours. Goodnight. -Mimi"_

Mimi wasn't sleepy, but even so, she still had every intention of going to sleep. _Thank god I'm in first class._

She put on the headphones, propped her seat in its horizontal position, and placed the eyeshades over her eyes. "Goodnight, mom," she mumbled.

"You mean morning. Good luck falling asleep. I'll wake you before we get there."

_End of Chapter 2_

(A/N: Yes, short and boring. But still, please review or else I'll feel like nobody's really reading it. After this chapter, I will revert to using only Japanese time zone.)


	3. Chapter 3 Home Sweet Home

(**Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon, its characters, nor the plot. Take note that this is MIMATO so if you're not a fan, don't read it. I respect those who are not fans of this couple, but I will not tolerate spamming and flames from them.)

Matt, Tai, Sora – 17 (Juniors)  
Mimi, Koushiro, Michael – 16 (Juniors)  
TK, Kari, Daisuke – 14 (Freshmen)  
Ken, Miyako – 15 (Sophomores)  
Jou – 18 (Senior)  
Iori – 13 (Third year middle school)

_**Hearts and Daggers**_

**Chapter 3: Home Sweet Home**

Narita Airport

Mimi leaned on the luggage cart, took her phone out and dialed Sora's number.

"_Mimi?"_

"Yeah, Sora, I just got my luggage. Are you here?"

"_Yes, Kari and I got here an hour ago. I think I see you. Black and green polka dot dress?"_

"Uh… yeah…" Mimi looked around. She spotted a head of red hair next to a brunette and two hands waving at her. "Oh, I see you too! Hold on a sec, my dad's here. I'll be right there in a bit."

Mimi hung up. She looked around and saw her father walking towards them. "Hey daddy."

"How was your flight?" He kissed his wife and hugged his daughter.

"Good. First class is always good." Mimi's mother chuckled.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Um… daddy, Sora and Kari are here to pick me up. Is it okay if you find someone who can help us load my luggage into Sora's car?"

"Sure thing, sweetie. I'll get right on it. You guys head on to her car and drive to the loading lane. We'll be ready for you."

"Thank you, daddy." Mimi hugged her parents and ran off to join her friends.

Carrying only her leather satchel, Mimi made her way to where Sora and Kari were waiting.

"Welcome back!!" Sora greeted her ecstatically.

"We missed you!" Kari smiled.

Mimi was attacked by their hugs. "I missed you too! Sorry for not calling for so long!"

"Forget about it."

"Yeah, Mimi, we're just glad you're back."

Mimi examined her friends. They've changed a lot since she last saw them two years ago.

Sora's straight red hair had grown a little past her shoulders and her usually overly conservative and sporty look was also gone. Sora wore a pink floral print tank top with a white skirt that flowed past her knees and white sandals. She had on a matching pink headband.

Kari's brown hair had also grown longer, but it didn't go past her shoulders like Sora's did. She had on a white bubble-sleeved top with a drawstring tie at the chest area, a pair of pale yellow shorts and black-and-white star print skimmer shoes. She still used clips on her hair.

"You guys look amazing." Mimi stared at them in awe.

They both laughed at her as they all walked towards Sora's car. "And you don't?"

"That's true, Mimi. You stick out a lot."

"Are you serious? This is all too normal in America."

"Have you looked at yourself lately? You look like a woman. You're younger than me, yet you've matured as much as I did. God, what do they feed you in America?"

They got in the car, Mimi in the passenger side and Kari in the back. Sora pulled out of the parking lot and drove over to the loading spot.

Kari giggled. "Don't worry, Mimi, it's not a bad thing. Flaunt what you've got." She touched her small chest. "I would like some of what you've grown in the past three and a half years."

"Even _I'm_ not as plump in the chest as you are." Sora mentioned.

Mimi chuckled. "You guys have changed as much as I did!"

They all laughed. Mimi took out a piece of paper from her purse and handed it to Sora. "Here's the address to my new apartment. My dad said he took care of my apartment's furnishings last week so we should be able to hang out there."

Sora took the paper and looked it over. She nodded. "I know where it is."

"Is it close to your place?"

"Nope. It's close to Matt's." Sora pulled over at the spot where Mimi's parents and a porter were waiting for her.

"Matt's, huh? How close?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't been there. He emailed us his address as soon as he moved though, and I think you guys are in the same street."

"Cool."

Sora got out of her car and opened her trunk.

Kari leaned over and whispered to Mimi, "We'll fill you in on how everybody's doing on the way to your place."

"Okay." Mimi got out of the car and said her goodbyes to her parents as Sora and Kari both greeted them. The porter loaded all her luggage in the trunk and the back seat.

"You girls take care." Mimi's father handed the keys to her new apartment.

"And call us if you need anything at all."

"We'll be a short drive away."

"We'll take good care of Mimi." Sora shook their hands and Kari bowed.

Mimi hugged them goodbye. "I'll be careful. Don't worry about me. Call me when you want to see me. I'll drop by when I'm not busy."

"We love you."

"I love you too." She got in the car and waved at her parents as Sora drove off.

---------------

Two years have passed since Mimi last made contact with her friends. On the way to her new apartment, both Sora and Kari filled her in on what she missed out on.

Tai was the captain of their high school's soccer team. Kari secretly told Mimi of Tai's still unrequited love for Sora. He still lives with his family.

TK, Kari, and Daisuke are on their first year of high school. TK took up basketball and is involved with the literature club, while Daisuke took up both basketball and soccer. Both guys are still rivals, in school and in winning Kari's heart. They all live with their families.

Koushiro is the head of the Computer and Tech crew in Odaiba Gakuen, while Jou is preparing for his college applications, aiming for top medical schools all over the country. Jou and Koushiro have their own apartment close to school, and are roommates.

Miyako and Ken are currently dating, but Miyako is struggling to keep up with Ken's perfection. She is under Koushiro's tutelage in the 'tech way' and is working together with Kari as a tutor after school. Ken is co-captain of the soccer team, chosen by Tai himself despite being an underclassman. Daisuke struggles to keep up with his sharp skills. They still live with their families.

Iori won the Interstate Kendo Tournament at such a young age and is now on par with high school level students. He is in his final year of middle school and is prepping for the Odaiba Gakuen Entrance Exam.

Kari works as a tutor along with Miyako and spends every day after school tutoring kids who are in danger of falling behind. TK and Daisuke go to the Tutoring Center often; TK goes to study while waiting for Kari, and Daisuke goes for actual tutoring. TK and Kari walk home from school together since they're neighbors.

Sora is the captain of the high school's tennis team and is taking on advanced floral classes. She and Matt broke up several months after dating. She told Mimi that the two of them just started to drift apart. She currently lives with her overbearing and extremely strict mother.

Matt left home and bought his own apartment. He and his band members are working on making their debut as rock stars, while at the same time, trying to get through high school. They use his apartment for band practice when they can't do it in school. Nobody's heard from him all summer. Tai said he went away with his band to a training camp at Karuizawa. He'll be back in time for school.

---------------

Sora drove to the street where Mimi's new apartment was. Having dated Matt, she was familiar with the street. She often drove by to visit him after they broke up, but she usually just chickened out and drove away. It's been two years since she's driven in this area. Mimi pressed the button on the device that her father gave her with her keys. The parking lot gate slid open and Sora drove in.

"What's your spot?"

Mimi fumbled with her keys. "Um… 107."

Kari leaned out the window. "I think we have a problem." She pointed to Mimi's parking spot.

Apparently, Mimi's father had secured two parking spots for Mimi. They stared in awe at Mimi's new car. One of the parking spots was left empty for Michael for when he moves in, and the other was taken by a brand new 2008 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet in silver. It had a big red bow tie at the top. Her lime-green Volkswagen Beetle convertible stayed in America for Michael to use since he'd wrecked his car.

"Holy… Mimi, is that the new car your parents bribed you with?"

"I… I guess so…" She seemed almost as speechless as her friends.

"Wow… it's so cool, Mimi…" Kari couldn't take her eyes off it.

"Go ahead and park there, Sora…" Mimi pointed at the empty parking spot without taking her eyes off her Porsche.

"But… I'm scared… what if I hit it?"

Mimi giggled. "Oh Sora… you're the safest person I know. Don't worry about it, just park so we can unload and get something to eat."

Sora parked next to Mimi's new Porsche. Sora popped the trunk open and started unloading Mimi's luggage with Kari. Mimi got out and carefully removed the bow off her new car. A small white box fell out of the bundle and she picked it up and opened it. _My new car keys._ She smiled.

She hooked her keys together and put them in her leather satchel. She opened the back door of Sora's car and started unloading her luggage from there.

There was an elevator next to the stairs leading up to the apartments. Even though they were able to fit Mimi's things into the elevator, it still took them two trips each to bring every single bag into Mimi's new apartment.

---------------

Matt parked his black 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe 3.5 SE V6 in his parking spot. He got out with his guitar case, and from a short distance, two things caught his eye. One was Sora's burgundy 2009 Toyota Corolla and the other was the car parked next to it. He grabbed the duffel bag he used in Karuizawa and walked over to 107's spot.

"What's Sora doing parked in 107's spot for? The new tenant was supposed to be moving in today too." He shook his head. "Maybe it's not her car." He walked over to the silver Porsche. "Damn…" He admired it for a while until his stomach growled.

Matt took the elevator. When he stepped out on his way to his apartment, he heard female voices. _What the…?_ He took a peek, eager not to be spotted. His eyes widened when he saw Sora and Kari struggling to push and carry heavy bags into apartment 107. _Don't tell me they're moving in…_

Just then, another girl stepped out through the double doors and grabbed two more bags. He recognized that strawberry blonde hair, those chestnut eyes, that fair skin. When she spoke, there was no mistaking it. Matt knew it was none other than Mimi.

It's been two years since he last heard of her. The last time he saw her, he was dating Sora. Back then, he wasn't attracted to her. She was almost a year younger and she hadn't matured as much as Sora had. Staring at her now, she looked like a completely different person. Although she retained her traits—the hair, the eyes, the fair skin—she was taller now compared to before, about 5'3", and her body seemed to have blossomed. She was turning into a real woman.

Matt felt ashamed of himself for staring at her face, her hair, her body. His mind was occupied of thoughts about Mimi, speaking to her, hanging out with her, touching her… until he realized something important. _What is she doing here? Is she the new tenant moving in today?_ Matt watched them until there were no more bags and the door was shut. He sighed. He took out his keys and entered apartment 106 in haste.

---------------

Apartment 107

Mimi toured her new flat. The stairs going up to the bedrooms faced the front double doors. To the left was a sliding door that led to the kitchen. Straight from the front door was the restroom, and even further on was the living room. There was an electric fireplace and lots of windows. There was a piano on one corner of her living room; white leather couches curving into an L shape with pink, green and white pillows in another corner; a glass coffee table; white carpets and fashionable rugs; a flat screen television with three remotes and a game console; a stereo; not to mention the artwork hanging on the walls. Since there was no separate dining room, there was a small table in the kitchen with four seats. The refrigerator was fully stocked and so were the cupboards and pantry. Appliances, gas, and electricity were all taken care of as well.

Going up the stairs, there was a bedroom ahead with its own bathroom. The bedroom was decorated with neutral colors, whites and greens, blacks and blues. It wasn't specifically decorated for Michael but it was clear that it was to be his new room. The sliding door in between both bedrooms was the laundry room where a new washer and dryer were, complete with detergents, fabric softeners, hangers and hampers. The master bedroom was further left from the laundry area. It was reasonably larger than the other bedroom, with its own walk-in closet and full-length mirror. There was a king-sized bed in the middle with end tables and lamps on each side. She had a bookcase in one corner, another but smaller flat screen television in front of her bed, an easel on another corner, and a study table with a flat screen desktop computer. The master bathroom was also much larger than the other bathroom. Not only did she have a large shower with glass doors, she also had two tubs. Mimi couldn't hold in her happiness. She knew her dad had the drop in jetted bath tub installed just for her, even though there was already a free standing bath tub in the middle of the room. Even though the master bathroom was the same size as the master bedroom, having had the extra tub installed ate up some of the space. There was a hamper in one corner of the bathroom and a cupboard with towels. Every single room in the house was decorated beautifully and everything Mimi will ever need has been provided for her. All that was left was everything she had to unpack.

After touring the place, the girls took some time carrying the heavy bags up the stairs and into Mimi's bedroom.

"Hey, Sora, sorry about this, but it's time. Do you think you could drop me off?" Kari asked as she put the last bag down and looked at the time.

"Sure. Do you have everything you need?"

"I have to swing by the house really quick to grab my backpack."

"Um…" Mimi looked at them confused.

They both turned to her and Kari spoke. "Oh sorry, I forgot to tell you. I have summer tutoring sessions and I'm supposed to meet some students over at the library in less than half an hour. I guess I lost track of time."

"I'm sorry, it's my fault."

"Oh no, I wanted to come."

They started heading downstairs. Sora and Kari put their shoes on. "I'll go and drop her off then come back here to help you unpack. Is that okay?"

Mimi smiled. "You don't have to ask. I'll order some pizza for us while you're gone. I'll save some for you too, Kari, if you can come back."

"Well I'll have to tell my parents you're back…"

"That's okay. Do what you have to."

"Um… listen… can I tell TK that you're here? I promise he can keep it a secret."

Mimi laughed. "Okay. But nobody else. Not until school starts."

"Thank you. I just don't know how I'm supposed to keep this from TK, you know?"

"Yeah…"

Mimi walked them to the elevator, barefooted and waved them goodbye. In lithe steps, she walked back to her new apartment and picked up the phone. She called her parents to let them know she was home and safe, and then she thanked them for everything.

She went upstairs and opened her white laptop bag. She turned on her ice pink colored laptop and ordered two large pizzas online. She didn't feel like cooking on her first night.

As she waited for her delivery, she began unpacking.

---------------

Apartment 106

Matt took a deep breath after shutting his door quietly. He wasn't seen, but seeing as he lives across the hallway from her, it wouldn't be hard to be spotted.

Matt's flat wasn't as roomy and luxurious as Mimi's. Apartment 107 was being remodeled for months because the new tenant wanted it to be more spacious. Matt felt intimidated living across from her. They've been friends for years, but they haven't really spoken to each other in a while.

Matt opened the refrigerator and to his dismay, there was no food. His stomach growled. He hadn't had a meal all day. He picked up his phone and ordered a large pizza. It's not like he could just knock on Mimi's door and ask for food. As he waited for the delivery, he plopped down on his black leather couch and closed his eyes.

Yagami Residence

Kari ran to her room and quickly grabbed her backpack. As she was heading out of the house, Tai came up behind her.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

Kari abruptly turned around. "You scared me, Tai! I'm late for my tutoring session at the library, so I have to go."

"Need a ride?" He asked, grabbing his keys.

"No it's okay. Sora's out front."

He dropped his keys. "Oh, really? Um... did she say anything about me?"

"She said hi and sorry for not coming down with me, but we're really in a hurry."

"Oh okay. Say hi back for me. Be careful and call me if you need a ride home."

"Okay. Thanks, Tai." She smiled at him and ran down to Sora's car.

---------------

The pizza guy was carrying three boxes of pizza as he rang Mimi's doorbell. The door swung open and Mimi took the two boxes he was handing her. She paid him and tipped him heavily before thanking him, and closing the door behind her.

He rang Matt's doorbell and waited for an answer. Matt, having been awoken from his nap, crankily accepted the delivery. The pizza guy accepted his payment and tip and left with a smile on his face.

Before Matt could close his door, the door across the hall swung open and Mimi called out, holding a box of pizza. "Hey, wait!"

It was too late to hide now. Matt tried to speak but no words came out. He just stared at her.

Her cheeks burned bright as she examined him closely. "M-Matt…" _Wow… Matt…_

Matt was wearing his jeans and his tight black sleeveless shirt. He now had a piercing on his left ear and his body had also become well toned.

"Hey…" His cheeks flushed as he eyed her carefully. He couldn't help but think impure thoughts about her as she stood before him in all her fair glory.

Things felt awkward. Mimi chuckled nervously as she lifted her box. "They gave me the wrong box. I ordered cheese and Hawaiian. This one's pepperoni…"

Matt snapped out of his fantasy. "Oh…" He opened the pizza box he held in his hands. "I guess the boxes got mixed up."

They stepped away from their doorways and exchanged pizza boxes. They both chuckled. "So, you live here, huh?"

"Yeah. How about you… I didn't know you were coming back."

"I just found out last week myself, and now, here I am." She smiled.

"So you're the new tenant here. I was wondering whose fancy car that was in spot 107. What a beauty…" He meant that in more ways than one. He scratched his head.

"Yeah… my parents like to bribe me to get me to agree with major decisions."

"Do you really need to be bribed to return to your hometown?"

Mimi chuckled. "No, but I forgot to mention that."

They both laughed, but neither of them looked away from each other.

"So… you're back for good?"

"Yep. For good."

"Good." He blushed. "I guess we're neighbors."

She blushed at the thought. "I guess we are."

There was a short pause.

"Um… listen, I gotta go to band practice this afternoon, but I was wondering if we could maybe hang out afterwards… you know… to catch up."

"Oh, about that. Sora and Kari are sleeping over tonight. They're going to help me unpack and settle in. Maybe next time?"

"Oh… okay. Sure, next time." He looked away for a second, embarrassed, then looked back at her and smiled. "It was nice seeing you again, Mimi. After two years and all…"

"Yeah… you too, Matt." She smiled at him. "I'll see you around."

They both entered their apartments and shut their doors slowly. It was all too quiet. All that can be heard are the nervous breathing and the rapid heartbeats resonating from behind their closed doors.

_End of Chapter 3_

(A/N: Finally, things start up between them huh? Hope you guys liked it. Please review. I'm totally open to criticism. I might go on a hiatus for a bit, at least until after the 28th of November. Term papers are weighing me down.)


	4. Chapter 4 Warm Welcome

(**Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon, its characters, nor the plot. Take note that this is MIMATO so if you're not a fan, don't read it. I respect those who are not fans of this couple, but I will not tolerate spamming and flames from them.)

Matt, Tai, Sora – 17 (Juniors)  
Mimi, Koushiro, Michael – 16 (Juniors)  
TK, Kari, Daisuke – 14 (Freshmen)  
Ken, Miyako – 15 (Sophomores)  
Jou – 18 (Senior)  
Iori – 13 (Third year middle school)

_**Hearts and Daggers**_

**Chapter 4: Warm Welcome**

After her encounter with Matt, Mimi had trouble concentrating on anything. Sora and Kari had arrived that evening and spent the rest of the night sharing stories with her. They both sensed that Mimi was a little off compared to before. They asked her what was wrong, but knowing that Matt had a relationship with Sora, Mimi decided not to say anything about it.

Overall, their sleepover was a success. The girls had fun shopping and hanging out, and Mimi hadn't run into Matt all weekend.

Odaiba Gakuen

That following Monday was the beginning of the new semester at Odaiba Gakuen.

Mimi's entrance into Sora's class caused quite a commotion. Not only was she unrecognizable, she was like a star among the rest of the students in the whole school. Well, except for one.

The teacher pointed Mimi to a seat between a bushy-haired brunet and Sora.

He turned to her with a sly smile as she took her seat. "Hey there. My name is Yagami Taichi, but you can call me Tai for short. I see you're new," he took a moment to eye her, "so if you ever need help around the school, I'm definitely your guy." He winked.

This caused a stifled giggle from Sora and a hidden chuckle from Matt, who had just passed by Tai to take his seat behind Mimi. She didn't notice him.

Mimi couldn't help but let a soft chuckle escape her rosy lips at Tai's pick-up attempt. "Why thank you very much, _Tai_." She smiled warmly at him. "My name is Tachikawa Mimi, but you can call me Meems, you know, like you used to. And I think Sora, here, can show me around."

There was an eruption of laughter around them. Tai gaped at Mimi with wide eyes and mouth open. "Mimi?! Mimi 'Meems' Mimi?!"

Both Sora and Mimi erupted in laughter once again. "Yes, Tai. Ditzy Mimi from America. Digidestined of Sincerity."

Tai mouthed a 'wow' and got up to open his arms out to her. "Damn! You look… you look… oh come here!"

Mimi threw her arms over his broad shoulders and returned his rather tight hug. "Thank you. You look very handsome yourself." She could feel his hard muscles under his uniform shirt.

He blushed as they broke off. "Well… you know… it's the hair." He grinned.

"And the muscles." She winked at him.

The red in his cheeks deepened and the girls giggled at his embarrassment.

"Don't _I_ get a welcome hug?" A silky voice made Mimi turn around.

Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed at the sight of the blond-haired god smirking charmingly at her. "M-Matt..?!"

"What's wrong, Mimi?" Sora asked as she got out of her seat.

Mimi shook her head abruptly. "N-Nothing..! I just didn't know Matt was in this class, that's all. I haven't seen him in almost four years after all… so I didn't really recognize him…" She turned away.

"How can you not recognize him?" Tai asked. "Aside from TK, he's the only blond-haired, blue-eyed guy we know."

"So… can I have that hug?" He extended his arms out to her.

Mimi's heart started to race as she looked into Matt's eager blue eyes. Mimi couldn't get over how handsome he was. She walked into his waiting arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm glad you're back…" he whispered softly into her ear.

His hot breath against her neck gave her goose bumps. She bit her lip. Gosh, she didn't want to let go. She just hoped that he couldn't feel her rapid heartbeat against that muscular chest she so wanted to touch.

He closed his eyes and took in her scent. His cheeks flushed at the feel of her pronounced breasts pressed against his hard chest, but he wouldn't dare let go. No. Not yet. Their bodies felt too perfect together.

Tai cleared his throat. "Get a room, guys."

Mimi quickly broke away. She chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, Matt. Mimi just got back and you're already attacking her. That's not like you." Sora pointed out as she got back to her seat. "Besides, she's still with Michael."

"Michael Washington? You're still with that guy?" Tai asked.

"Yeah…" Mimi looked down and avoided Matt's gaze, though she wasn't sure why.

There was an awkward silence that was interrupted by the teacher as he put down his chalk and picked up the textbook. They all sat back down and didn't speak a word.

As the girls exchanged notes, Mimi could feel Matt's eyes on her back, as if he were probing her. She shifted uneasily in her seat, uncomfortable of the situation.

For the whole of class, she tried her best to ignore his piercing stares.

---------------

During lunchtime, Mimi, Tai, Sora, Kari, TK, Koushiro, Miyako, Ken, and Daisuke all met up. Matt couldn't hang around due to band practice, Jou was prepping for a test, and Iori was still in middle school.

Everybody was surprised and excited over Mimi's return. Both Sora and Kari brought up their plan of a homecoming and housewarming party the following weekend, which excited the group.

Mimi had already forgotten about Michael because of the happiness her friends gave her.

---------------

The school week passed by rather quickly. Mimi had auditioned for the cheerleading team as well as the music club and had been accepted. Everything was working out for her and the anticipation of the coming weekend just kept mounting.

It was Saturday morning when Sora stopped by to help her with the party preparations. They had gone grocery shopping the day before after school was over and that morning, all they had to do was go shopping for new outfits, since Tai had volunteered to get the movies.

Both Sora and Mimi arranged the assorted chip bags across her kitchen counter. Her refrigerator was packed with bottles of apple cider, raspberry sun tea, iced coffee, and Japanese soda, along with the fruit and vegetable dip tray, and the ice cream containers. The rest of the Digidestined volunteered to take care of the pizza, sandwiches, and other sides.

As the girls finished preparing the place, they headed to Sora's car. "I hope Tai doesn't pick any scary movies…"

Sora couldn't help but chuckle as she got on the passenger seat, tossing the keys to Mimi. "Knowing Tai, he probably will."

Mimi groaned. "Okay," she started as she pulled out of the driveway, "so do you know Kari and Miyako's size? I wanna get them something to wear…"

"Yes, I do, but really, Mimi, you don't have to buy us anything."

"Well since I've got to buy us all dresses anyway, why not buy some cute outfits for today's party?"

"Dresses?" Sora turned to face her. "For what?"

"Well, I'll tell you about it later. You're sleeping over, right?"

"Of course. I want to enjoy the comforts of your place while I can."

Mimi laughed.

---------------

After their shopping spree, they swung by to pick up Kari and Miyako.

"Wow," Kari exclaimed as she looked around the back seat, "that's quite a shopping spree…"

"Any of them for us?" Miyako grinned excitedly.

Kari nudged her ribs and Sora gave her a look.

"Why, of course, Miyako, I got you an outfit for today!"

Miyako looked down at her gray sleeveless shirt and dark denim pants. "But isn't this a casual party?"

"Yeah, but I wanna have some fun dressing you all up."

"'All'?" Sora cocked an eyebrow at her. "You mean me too?"

Mimi pulled into her parking spot. "Duh. Like I'll let you keep that t-shirt on. Way too simple."

Apartment 107

They spent the remaining two hours before the party getting ready.

Miyako's cell phone rang and she answered it. It was Ken, telling her that he and Daisuke had just arrived. Both her and Kari ran downstairs and put their footwear on, making their way out the front doors of the apartment building.

"Whoa," Daisuke's eyes gawked at them, "you guys look…"

"Different." Ken finished.

Miyako's long plum-colored hair was out of her bandana. It was fringed and layered, fixed into a messy side bun that accentuated her new side-swept bangs. She wore a canary yellow drapey open-back tee that showed her black racer-back tank top and a pair of olive drab cargo shorts that stopped mid-thigh. Her brown calf-length boots made her skinny legs look more defined. Her usually round glasses were gone, replaced by smaller black frames. She had a contact set for special occasions. She smiled triumphantly at Ken. She felt like a whole new different person. Haircut, new clothes, ear piercings and bracelets. All from her idol, Mimi.

Ken walked over to Miyako and kissed her cheek. Daisuke, however, continued to drool over Kari.

Her short brown hair was tied into low pigtails with tiny white ribbons. She wore a light pink cotton flutter-sleeve thermal top that hugged her thin waist comfortably and showed off her collar bones, and a pair of white cargo Capri pants. The ribbons on her pink sandals were tied snugly around her ankles, the small heels increasing her height slightly. Kari went over to Daisuke to grab the paper bag containing the sandwiches they'd picked up along the way. "Thank you, Daisuke."

"Ah… eh… yeah…" He stuttered.

"Well come on. Let's go inside before Daisuke gets his drool all over Kari." Miyako pulled Ken's arm along.

"You guys should see Mimi's place. It's so amazing." Kari made her way to the short flight of stairs. "Where are Tai and TK?"

"Oh, Tai's picking up the movies and TK's got the cake."

"Now, Miyako…" Ken started, "I know you're excited, but don't let Mimi know about the cake."

"Don't worry, I know. We all pitched in for it, I just hope she likes it."

---------------

As Mimi finished Sora's hair, her mobile phone rang. Sora picked it up. It was a text message.

"Tai and TK are here. Should I head down to meet them?"

"Yeah, go ahead. You're all finished." Mimi called out from the bathroom through the noise of the blow-dryer.

Sora inhaled. "Okay." She ran down the stairs and slipped on the khaki knee-length suede slouch boots Mimi had bought for her. She felt odd, wearing such fashionable things. The bracelets and earrings, not to mention the dress and the boots. It was so Mimi. She wasn't sure if the rest of the gang would like them.

Down at the parking lot, Tai and TK stared in awe at Mimi's car.

"Damn, even my car's no match… and mine's a 2009." Tai referred to his dark blue 2009 Honda Accord Coupe parked outside Mimi's building.

"Yeah, who would've thought our sweet Mimi would have a luxury car."

She took the elevator down to the parking lot where she spotted Tai and TK admiring Mimi's Porsche. "Where'd you park, Tai?"

Tai's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. TK smiled. It was rare to see Sora in a dress, even though it was casual. The closest she ever got to a dress were her long skirts and her school uniform.

Sora stood there, smiling nervously, wearing a cranberry-colored open-neck crochet trim dress that was loose around the waist but fit around the hips. It stopped right above her knees, but it made her feel like the dress was too short. The top part of her red hair was clipped up on both sides, exposing small drop earrings on her newly pierced ears. "What are you guys looking at?"

TK walked towards her, holding the box of cake. "You look very pretty, Sora. You should wear dresses more often." He smiled kindly at her.

"Thanks, TK. You can take the elevator over there." She gestured to the direction of the elevator. "107. Mimi's still getting ready so just stick it inside her refrigerator. I'll make sure she doesn't see it."

TK nodded and headed out.

There was a small silence until Tai cleared his throat. "So," he started, "you're wearing earrings and a dress…"

Sora sighed avoiding his gaze. "Yes, Tai, I am…"

"Well… um…" he walked up to her and turned his head away to hide his embarrassment, "you look beautiful."

Sora's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed as she watched Tai's back disappearing into the elevator, a bag of movies in hand. Before she knew it, her heart was beating faster than normal. "Thank you…" she whispered before heading up to Mimi's place herself.

---------------

The cake was hidden, the foods were out, and the party had started. Mimi was still upstairs as Sora, Kari, Miyako, Tai, TK, Ken, Daisuke, Koushiro and Iori sat comfortably on her couches, chatting away excitedly. Jou arrived a few minutes later, muttering apologies to everybody as he set the pizza boxes down on the table.

"Where's Mimi?" Jou asked.

"Yeah, the main attraction isn't even here yet." Tai added.

"What's taking her so long?" Koushiro asked.

Sora got up. "I'll get her."

Sora entered Mimi's room and saw her rummaging through shopping bags. "Mimi, what are you doing? Everybody's waiting downstairs."

"Here, grab these." She handed five bags to Sora and held six other bags of her own. "Sorry, I was just looking for everybody's presents."

Sora chuckled. "Always so thoughtful. This party is for you, you know. You're the 'main attraction' as Tai put it, so let's head downstairs."

"Okay. Wait up." She put the bags down and fastened the turquoise straps of her 5" basketweave platform wedge around her ankles.

"Why are you putting on shoes?"

"Because they're new and clean and I wanted to wear them for now." She grabbed the bags. "Let's go."

In the living room, everybody got up when they saw the two girls head down the stairs. There were 'wow's and 'whoa's as they looked at Mimi.

The full skirt of her white cotton babydoll sundress stopped mid-thigh, with two side pockets, back smocking, an empire waist, and a plunging v-neck. She wore a long gold necklace with the light pink stone heart pendant resting just below her breasts. She had matching stud earrings and light makeup, like the rest of the girls. Her wavy chestnut locks looked windswept as they hung down, past her shoulders and all the way down to her lower mid-back.

"Wow, Mimi…" Jou blushed, "You certainly look different."

"Jou!" Mimi exclaimed as she jumped on him with a hug attack. "I didn't see you in school all week!"

The skirt of her dress had flown up when she jumped on Jou, but Sora pulled it back down before anybody could see underneath. Unfortunately, the guys, excluding Jou, caught a glimpse of her light pink lace underwear. Their red faces turned away.

"Whoa! Careful, Mimi! You might hurt someone!" Jou cautioned her.

Mimi laughed. "Jeez, Jou, still a worrywart." She turned to Iori and gave him a hug. "I didn't see you all week either!"

Iori smiled and returned her hug. "Sorry, middle school and kendo kept me occupied."

"It's okay. I'm glad you guys made it! Here." She handed the guys each a bag, then she noticed something. "Hey guys, where's Matt?"

Tai spoke up. "Oh yeah, he just texted me a few minutes ago. He's at band practice and said he might run a little late. He hopes you understand."

"Oh." Mimi tried to conceal her disappointment with a smile. "It's okay. I guess we'll wait for him before we watch the movies. But you guys should go ahead and eat before the pizza gets cold!" She grabbed the lime green paper plates. "You can go ahead and open those bags too if you want."

Several 'thank you's echoed through the living room as everybody thanked Mimi for their presents. Along with vouchers for suits and tuxes, there was a handmade scarf with their respective crests on one end, and custom made tops with different styles. Mimi also included a little extra for all of them.

Tai got two pairs of soccer cleats: a black and white Adidas Predator Pulse 2 X-TRX SG and a blue and silver Adidas Predator Powerswerve TRX FG, both of which Daisuke and Ken gawked at. "Holy crap, Mimi! New cleats!"

Koushiro received a Lenovo ThinkPad T61 complete with a bag and laptop accessories. "The best business notebook in the world..! Mimi, this is prodigious!"

Jou opened up a box containing an RIM BlackBerry Bold and a Fossil Chronograph Black Dial watch with black leather croco straps. "Oh my… Mimi… you shouldn't have! These… these are too precious!"

TK got a pair of black and metallic silver Jordan Collezione 22/1 basketball shoes, a new hat, and a writing set. "Wow, Mimi, this is great! Thank you!"

Daisuke got two different pairs of shoes; Nike Zoom LeBron VI for basketball and Nike Mercurial Vapor IV FG for soccer. There was also a blue headband with 'Motomiya' printed on the bottom side to replace Tai's old goggles. "Mimi, I think I love you..!"

For a genius like Ken, she gave him a customized wizard's chest set made of glass, but the chest pieces were the Digidestined themselves and their respective Digimon. She also bought him a pair of Nike Vapor SL FG soccer cleats. Ken touched each chess piece with care and held his shoes, happiness in his eyes. "This is incredible, Mimi-san. Thank you very much."

Iori got a hand forged Orchid Katana Samurai set and a Japanese calligraphy set. Iori stared in awe at the rare swords and tears were almost in his eyes. "Mimi-san, this… this is really…"

The girls couldn't help themselves. Although they originally planned on opening their presents later on because they'd gotten the first half of their presents from the shopping spree, they wanted to show off what Mimi had gotten them also.

Aside from Sora's new clothes, shoes, and jewelry set, she got a brand new tennis racket custom made with her name printed on it. She also opened a box with a red crystal heart pendant on a white gold chain. "Oh Mimi…"

Kari received a Canon PowerShot A590 IS with a light pink adjustable strap and a pink crystal sakura pendant on a white gold chain. She covered her lips. She was utterly speechless though Mimi could tell the happiness in her eyes.

Miyako tore off the box of her brand new laptop and beauty set. A reflection of her adulation for both Mimi and Koushiro. She also got a white gold Hawkmon charm bracelet with both Sora's and Mimi's crests as one of the charms. "Oh my god! This… oh my god!"

The girls had tears in their eyes as they all hugged and smothered Mimi simultaneously, muttering 'thank you's and 'you're the best's. The rest of the Digidestined took turns hugging her and showing their appreciation.

It was their turn to give Mimi her presents.

From Tai, a set of video games for her console, and 50 of the scariest movies.

From Kari, a custom framed group picture of the Digidestined, taken just before they lost contact.

From Sora, a flower arrangement she made with a beautiful crystal vase, which Mimi placed on her coffee table.

From Koushiro, a lime green iPod nano.

From Jou, a bath and shower set.

From TK, a stack of classical books for her bookshelves and a poem he wrote himself, framed and printed, _The Child of Sincerity_.

From Miyako, a set of aromatic and therapeutic candles.

From Ken, a framed painting of a flowerbed in the Digiworld and their Digimon playing in it, which he painted himself.

From Daisuke, a shoe rack for her front door and a _Home Sweet Home_ wall scroll.

From Iori, a calligraphy scroll with Mimi's name on it.

Like the rest of them, she was in tears. She thanked them warmly for the gifts.

After their gift exchange, they helped themselves to all the food. This night, they wouldn't hold back because it was all for Mimi.

As they ate, the ringtone"Merry-go-round of life" broke through their chatter and Mimi realized, it was her parents' ringtone. She excused herself from the others and stepped out.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, Mimi. This is daddy. I just wanted to check up on you, see how your first week of school went."_

"Oh daddy, it was great. I'm in the cheerleading team and the music club. Things are great."

"_That's good. I knew you could get by on your own. So what are you up to?"_

"My friends are throwing me a homecoming and housewarming party right this moment."

"_A party? Is there any alcohol? Any illegal substance I should know about?"_

"Ugh, I'm not stupid. These are my _friends_. You know, my _adventure friends_. They're completely honest people. Plus, Sora's here. She can keep everybody in line for me."

Mimi heard a chuckle at the other end of the line. _"Well that's good, honey. Have fun and let me know if you need anything at all."_

"Okay. Thank you, daddy. I will. Goodnight."

"_Goodnight, pumpkin."_

Right when Mimi hung up, she heard a _ding_ and turned towards the elevator.

There he was, her golden god of seduction, wearing a tight black tee and dark denim jeans that hugged his muscular planes perfectly. His guitar case was swung around his shoulder and he held a bouquet of bright yellow roses in his hand.

"Matt…" she whispered his name. Her heart began to race at the sight of him.

He stopped in his tracks as he spotted her. _Mimi…?_

She stood rooted on the spot looking at him longingly, hands in the pockets of her dress. Nobody's ever made her felt that way before. Michael had never made her heart race or her skin hot. She felt so different, it confused her. She knew she loved Michael, but why did she feel this way about Matt?

He walked towards her and let his blue eyes probe her beautiful body. From her long creamy legs to her high, firm breasts, then her seemingly windswept wavy locks and her angelic face. He took a deep breath, his heart racing against his chest as he stopped just inches before her.

"I guess I missed the toast?"

Mimi snapped out of her reverie and smiled at him. "Nope. You're right on time."

He leaned in closer to her, a hand holding her cheek. "Well, I still wanted to do this."

Mimi's heart stopped. Was he going to kiss her? His hot breath against her face made the hairs on her nape stand, her lips instinctively parted slightly. She had difficulty breathing.

Matt fought the urge of plundering her mouth right there in the middle of the hall. She looked so innocent, yet so sexy. As much as he wanted her, she had a boyfriend. He cared so much about her, he wouldn't want to let a stupid mistake wreck years of their friendship.

Then his lips made contact. Briefly but seemingly eternal, his lips softly pressed against her feverish cheek, the thumb of his hand on her other cheek barely caressing it. When his lips broke off, he whispered against her ear in a husky yet silky voice. "Welcome home."

She let out a soft gasp at the feel of his hot breath against her sensitive ear. She quickly covered her lips with her fingers, afraid of what he would think at the slight moan that escaped her lips.

A small smile played across his lips. The moan was like music to his ears. He knew he had affected her. _If_ not her heart, then _definitely_ her body. He just wasn't going to say anything about it.

He moved away, handing her the bright yellow roses. "Here, for your housewarming."

She smelled them and looked up into his warm blue eyes with a bright and happy smile. "They're beautiful, Matt. Thank you…"

"Beautiful roses for a _beautiful_ woman." His smile broadened as he watched her cheeks flush a darker hue of red. "I'm glad you like them."

"So am I to take it that your kiss was my welcome present?" She cocked a brow, a playful smile upon her rosy lips.

"Well…" It was his turn to blush. He scratched his head as he averted his gaze slightly. "That's part of it."

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "There's more?"

"Well yeah…" He looked back at her eager honey orbs. "It's just not quite finished yet."

_Finished?_ Although she was curious, Mimi decided not to press the matter further. It was meant to be a surprise after all. Or else he would have told her already.

"Okay, I won't ask anymore. But I'm looking forward to it, whatever it is." She smiled that sincerely happy smile. "Now let's go in. Everybody's waiting." She grabbed his hand. He flinched in surprise making her release it immediately. "I'm sorry…"

"What are you talking about?" He turned her towards the door and put his big warm hands on her shoulders. "Let's go."

She opened the door and everybody greeted him with food in their mouths. Matt joined in as Mimi excused herself to put the roses in a vase. When Mimi got back and everybody had finished their meals, TK and Kari pulled the angel food cake out of the refrigerator and set it on the dining table. "We all pitched in for this." Kari said.

There it was, written in red icing inside the strawberry borders,

'_Welcome home, Mimi! ~from your ever loving friends.'_

Mimi covered her cheeks with her hands as she let her tears flow freely. She was truly touched at their gesture. "You guys, you didn't have to…"

They all hugged her. "Of course we did. It doesn't compare to what you got for us, but we hope you like it."

She chuckled in between tears and hugged everybody back, Matt just a tad bit tighter. "Of course I love it! Thank you, guys…"

After they ate the cake and had the welcome toast, they all sat down as TK popped the scary movie in. It was _Dawn of the Dead _Unrated Director's Cut, 2004 remake and Tai's first choice.

Mimi cursed Tai for picking scary movies.

She plopped down on her L-shaped leather couch, followed by Matt who took the edge seat next to her, _immediately_. Sora sat on her other side, followed by Tai, then Koushiro, then Jou. The younger Digidestined sat on the rug with the fluffy throw pillows.

Everyone was at ease as they watched the movie, except Mimi. She pulled her knees to her chest, not caring about whether her underwear was showing or not. She was way too scared to care.

At every suspenseful and scary scene, she screamed and clung accidentally onto Matt. Every time she did, she broke away, apologizing profusely. She tried to hold in the screams later on in the movie so as not to disturb the others. Instead, she took in quick gasps that decreased her screaming volume significantly.

When the part came where the main character Ana takes a bundle from a dead Andre and discovers it was a zombie baby, the very sight of it caused Mimi to jump and her hand landed and squeezed tightly onto Matt's thigh.

At the same moment, Matt jumped in surprise, looking at Mimi with wide eyes and flushed cheeks. His heart beat erratically against his chest.

Tai turned to Matt, surprised. "Why, Matt, are you scared?"

Matt's eyes flitted to Tai's direction. "What?!" He asked breathlessly.

"It's okay if you're scared, Matt. Nobody will judge you." TK said passively without turning away from the movie.

There was a slight chuckle from everybody, which frustrated Matt. "I'm not scared!"

Mimi looked at him in remorse and whispered, "I'm sorry…"

He looked into her eyes and smiled, "It's okay. It's not your fault. Here." He took her hand, the one that was previously on his thigh, and held it. "Just squeeze when you get scared." He whispered.

Someone shushed and Mimi nodded. Throughout the movie, Mimi's heart raced. His hands were so big and warm, soft for a man's yet strong. This distraction didn't prevent her from getting scared and squeezing his hand, but it almost drove her crazy. She was relieved though, that her knees concealed their holding hands. She wouldn't know what to say if someone saw and confronted them about it.

After the movie was over and it was almost midnight, everybody helped the girls clean up the leftovers and afterwards, they said their 'thank you's and goodbyes, except for Sora.

Sora commented on how the party went, but Mimi was too distracted with the guilty feeling churning at her insides. She felt that by feeling such things for Matt, she betrayed not only Sora, but Michael as well.

Sora took the presents up to Mimi's bedroom as Mimi grabbed the water-filled vase with Matt's roses in it. She set it down on her nightstand and took one last whiff of it.

"Are those from Matt?" Sora asked as she organized the presents on the floor.

Mimi quickly turned around, cheeks flushed. "Yeah. He gave it to me when he got here." Mimi was afraid Sora might be mad about it. "I would've put yours here, but I felt that your work should be seen by everybody."

Sora smiled. "Why thank you." She touched the roses. "They're so pretty!" She hugged Mimi. "You know I'm really happy you're back, right?"

"I'm glad to be back, Sora. I've missed you all so much!" She broke away and headed to her closet.

"What are you doing?" She followed Mimi.

Mimi tossed two bundles of clothing to Sora. "Wear it. I got them for you."

Sora examined the two articles of clothing and blushed. "You want me to wear _this_?" She held out the red silk tap pant. "You can't even call these shorts!"

"That's why you wear the top." Mimi gestured at the white and red polka dot sleep shirt. It had a scoopneck, flowy shape, and cap sleeves.

"Oh." She sighed. "Why not? I've let you dress me up all day anyway."

Mimi giggled as she stripped down to her underwear and slipped on her baby blue button nightie. It had thin adjustable straps and stopped at mid-thigh length. She looked up at Sora. "Well, hurry up and put it on. I'll be in the bathroom washing my face."

"Okay…" Sora stripped down and slipped her new pajamas on. The sleep shirt hit at her upper-thigh, but she was relieved for the tap pant. She followed Mimi to the bathroom to wash her face.

"So…" Sora started as she dried her face. "Matt looks like he's into you…"

"What?" Mimi turned as she slipped under the covers. "What do you mean 'into me'?"

"Well, I noticed how he barely took his eyes off you..." Sora slipped under the covers next to her. "I mean he's never done that with me."

Mimi's chest hurt. Is Sora going to confront her about how she feels for Matt?

She stroked Mimi's hair. "It's okay, Mimi… don't be sad. I don't like him anymore. I just wanted to let you know what I saw."

"Thanks…" She turned to Sora and smiled. "Goodnight, Sora."

"Goodnight, Mimi."

That night, as Sora drifted off to sleep, Mimi lay awake, thinking of what had happened during the party. The kiss, the flowers, the movie… everything was confusing her. She liked Matt. She liked him _a lot_ and she was certain of it. But what about Michael, her boyfriend of three years, whom she also claimed to love?

She finally closed her eyes, thinking of nothing but Matt. If she couldn't openly express her feelings for him, she'd think of him in her dreams.

_End of Chapter 4_

(**A/N:** Okay, maybe it was a little boring but I hope the length makes up for the time it took to update this thing. Please review!!)


	5. Chapter 5 Enter the Boyfriend

(**Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon, its characters, nor the whole plot. Take note that this is MIMATO so if you're not a fan, don't read it. I respect those who are not fans of this couple, but I will not tolerate spamming and flames from them.)

Matt, Tai, Sora – 17 (Juniors)  
Mimi, Koushiro, Michael – 16 (Juniors)  
TK, Kari, Daisuke – 14 (Freshmen)  
Ken, Miyako – 15 (Sophomores)  
Jou – 18 (Senior)  
Iori – 13 (Third year middle school)

_**Hearts and Daggers**_

**Chapter 5: Enter the Boyfriend**

The party was the most fun Mimi had ever had in years. Her closest friends were there and at that moment, she knew, there was nothing anybody could ever do to destroy such happiness.

Until today.

---------------

Apartment 107

Sora opened her eyes slowly and groaned as the sunlight hit her tanned face. She looked at the time on the nightstand next to hers, and then grudgingly sat up and rubbed her eyes.

She was definitely a morning person. She slipped out of the bed, being careful not to wake Mimi, and headed to the bathroom to wash her face. She still couldn't believe she was wearing such flashy things, but she had to admit, Mimi had a great sense of style.

Sora made her way down the stairs to surprise Mimi with breakfast in bed. She felt that since Mimi had done so much for them in so little time, she deserved to be pampered just like a princess.

She opened the refrigerator and took out the egg carton, bacon, milk, bread and jam. She knew how Mimi loved a nice American breakfast.

As she toasted the bread and cooked the bacon and eggs, the door swung open. Her eyes widened in fear as she reached into the open cupboard and grabbed a frying pan. _Oh shit… who could it be? A burglar? Rapist? Serial killer? God help me._

Before she could bring the pan behind her head, a young man with curly sandy blond hair and light blue eyes entered the door, carrying suitcases. He dropped them on the floor and stared at Sora with amusement in his eyes.

"Couldn't you girls wait until I got here before you had that slumber party?"

"What? Who the hell…" Sora narrowed her eyes at him. _Michael._

He walked closer and stopped right before her. Sora didn't know how to react. Should she whack him? Maybe not… not if Mimi still loved this guy. She just stood there, rooted to the spot.

"You must be Sora." He reached for her face and pulled it up so her amber eyes met his cool blue ones.

Sora didn't know what to say. _What the hell is he doing?_

"You don't need to be shy." He eyed her outfit. "You ladies knew I was coming today so you decided to dress up, huh?" He smirked. "Is that my welcome breakfast?"

She tightened her grip on the pan. She was reconsidering hitting him with it after all. "No, in fact, nobody knew you were arriving today. It seems Mimi has forgotten also. And no, this is Mimi's breakfast."

He faked being hurt. "Aw, that's too bad. I guess I'll just take this as my welcome present." He leaned closer to her face and before she knew what he was doing, their lips had made contact.

Sora's eyes widened. She dropped the pan on the kitchen tiles, making a loud noise. She shoved him away from her and threatened to hurt him if he came near her. Her eyes narrowed into daggers aimed at him. "Mimi was right not to give herself to you."

"Oh, so you're thinking about telling her, are you?" He challenged her.

"Why not? She deserves to be with a way better guy than an asshole like you!" She spat at him.

"But if you tell her, wouldn't that make you a bad friend? I mean you _did_ kiss me back—"

"I did not!" She cut him off.

"—and if you tell her, _you alone_ would be responsible for destroying her three-year relationship." He watched her expression change. "Would you really do that to your best friend?"

Before Sora could say anything, Mimi was already coming down the stairs, rubbing her eyes. "Sora, what's with the racket? Are you okay…" Her voice faded away as she spotted a head of sandy blond hair. "Michael?"

He walked towards her with a sly smile on his face. "Good morning, princess."

Mimi's eyes widened, "Shit. I completely forgot. Oh Michael, I'm sorry…"

Michael extended his arms out to her. "Come here."

She hugged him, still muttering apologies. "I should've woken up earlier. I'm sorry I forgot…"

"It's okay. Really. Sora and I were just getting reacquainted." He shot a look at Sora.

Sora didn't have time to process anything in her head. It was way too early in the morning and the bacon she had been cooking was starting to burn. She didn't say anything as she quickly turned to the burner to lower the fire. "Damn, I think I burned your breakfast…"

Mimi's face lit up. "You made me breakfast?" She wriggled out of Michael's arms and skipped towards Sora.

"Yeah, I was gonna bring it up to your room, but _he_ came in and now it's burning." She pouted, a frown still upon her brows.

"Ooh, breakfast in bed!" She grabbed a plate. "Quickly, put it in here!"

The toaster made a _ding_ sound and Sora went over to get their toasts. "I guess this will do. Let's eat."

Mimi turned to Michael with a bright smile on her face. "How about you, Michael? Do you want anything to eat?"

He shook his head and smiled. "No, it's okay. I ate before landing."

"Okay." She and Sora sat down. "You can take your stuff to your bedroom. It's the small manly one."

Michael rolled his eyes at Mimi. "Sure, I'll just lug all of this up the stairs by myself while you two eat."

"Mmkay." Mimi noticed the sarcasm in his voice, but decided to ignore it. The fight can wait until after Sora leaves.

After breakfast, Sora made up an excuse to leave early. "So yeah, I have to go." She said as she changed into her t-shirt and jeans and gathered her belongings.

"Oh…" Mimi pouted. "Okay…"

"Don't be like that. We'll see each other in school tomorrow."

"Yeah…" Mimi sighed as she grabbed some of her things. "Let me help you take this to your car."

Sora smiled. "Thanks."

As they passed Michael's bedroom, Sora saw him grin at her. She threw him a glare as she continued down the stairs, following Mimi.

Mimi still hadn't changed from her nightie so she grabbed her light blue zip hoodie with sleeves that stopped at her elbow and put it on. She slipped into her flat silver toe-ring sandals and fastened the ankle straps.

---------------

In the parking lot, the girls were loading the bags into the trunk of Sora's Toyota Corolla. Sora shifted to the side uncomfortably, and turned to look at Mimi.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you something… about Michael."

She turned to Sora. "Sure, go ahead."

"Does he make you happy? I mean is he a good boyfriend to you?"

Mimi furrowed her brows. "What's this all of a sudden? Did he say something to you?"

Sora remembered the kiss and shook her head furiously. "No. Nothing. I just… I get this vibe from him… like something's not right…"

"Oh…" Mimi averted her gaze. "Like I said before, things haven't been the same since I refused to have sex with him. He's been cold and distant… but still, we've been together three years and I really want to take this chance to make this work."

Sora's eyes expressed worry. "Sorry I asked… it's none of my business…"

"It's okay." Mimi chuckled forcefully as she closed the trunk of Sora's car. "You're my best friend after all. You're entitled to worry."

Sora smiled. "Yeah." She opened the car door to the driver's seat. "Yesterday was a blast. We should do it again sometime."

Mimi then remembered something. "Wait! I forgot to tell you!"

"Yeah?"

"My dad's company is having a formal opening party in two weeks. As daughter of the director of the Japanese branch, I'm welcome to bring as many people as I want."

"All of us?"

"Yep. It'll be boring for me if I were to go by myself, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right…"

"And I can't wait to see you in a formal dress! Especially the one I got for you!"

Sora groaned. "Argh… Mimi…"

Mimi hugged her tightly before she could protest. "Now go on home. I'll call you later!"

Sora sighed. "Okay. I'll see you in school tomorrow. Thanks again for the gifts."

They waved each other goodbye as Sora drove out of the parking lot and out of sight. She unintentionally threw a glance at Matt's parking spot and noticed his car still parked there.

Mimi sighed as she headed back to her apartment.

---------------

Mimi walked into her apartment and heard sounds of bags zipping. _I guess Michael's still unpacking…_

She quietly made her way over to her coffee table where a gift lay hidden underneath. _'Matt'_ was written on the tag in cursive handwriting.

As much as she wanted to shower and change before seeing him, it was probably the only chance she'll get since Michael was already there. She grabbed the bag and snuck out, taking a few steps towards Matt's door. _106_.

She took a deep breath and knocked. She waited. Her heart was hammering out of her chest. She didn't know what to say. She was afraid of sounding stupid. On top of that, she had just woken up. No makeup, disheveled hair, and a nightie. _Great._

She thought for a second that maybe he went out to jog. It would explain why there was no answer. She turned back to her door and turned the knob. Before she could open it, Matt's door swung open.

"Mimi?"

Mimi turned to face him quickly. Her eyes widened and her cheeks blushed crimson at the sight of him. He stood there on his doorway, in all his half-naked glory, rubbing his eyes like a child. His golden hair was tousled, much more than hers, and the magnificent ripples of his muscles were pronounced from the sunlight shining through his open window. On top of all that, he was wearing only boxers. Her eyes bugged out as they landed on his crucial area. Mimi quickly covered them with his gift bag.

"G-Good morning… um…" She pointed at his crotch area with her free hand.

"What..?" Matt asked groggily. She could tell he was still half asleep. Matt never was a morning person.

Mimi took in a sharp breath. She walked towards him and pushed him inside from the doorway, closing his door behind her. She put his bag down, flicked the light switch on, unfastened her sandals and took off her hoodie.

"M-Mimi..? W-What are you doing?" His face turned crimson upon seeing the glow of her creamy skin. He could tell she wasn't wearing a bra, but her ample breasts still stood firm and high against the light blue nightie she wore. He looked at her face, which had no trace of makeup and watched as her long, dark lashes fluttered with each blink.

Mimi, still averting her gaze, tossed her sweater at him, a finger pointed at his ever-growing morning erection. The more she remembered how it looked like, the louder her heart beat against her ears. Her face and skin were at its burning point. She had never seen anything like it.

His gaze followed her finger to his crotch where his manhood threatened to free itself from the confines of his boxers. His eyes bugged out as hers did and he fumbled quickly to cover himself with her sweater.

"I… I'm sorry… It's…" He started, not knowing what to say. His face obtaining the same amount of color as hers.

Mimi chuckled without looking at him. "It's okay, it's a morning thing. I got it."

"Yeah… give me a sec." He walked to his living room and found a stray pair of jeans. He grabbed it and slipped it on. "So..." he started, scratching his head, her sweater swung over his shoulder. "What brings you here so early in the morning?"

She turned to look at him, relieved. "Well, when I woke up this morning, I realized I hadn't given you your present yet. So here…" She held the bag out to him and he took it.

He smiled charmingly at her as he read his name on the tag. "You didn't have to… but thank you for thinking of me…"

She averted her gaze, her burning cheeks unceasing. Sure, he put on some pants, but that muscular body, she didn't know how she was able to resist touching it. It was driving her crazy. She cleared her throat. "Go ahead. Open it."

Matt pulled the opening apart as he walked towards his black leather couch. Mimi kicked off her sandals and followed after him. He plopped down and gestured for her to sit next to him.

She sat next to him and eagerly awaited his reaction. When she had gone shopping for his present, she wasn't really sure what to get him.

First, he grabbed a bundle wrapped in green tissue. He took off the tissue to reveal a navy blue scarf, with his crest of friendship embroidered on one end. He looked at her. "Did you make this?"

She smiled at him and nodded. "Do you like it?"

"Of course. I never had one so this is the first." He leaned over to hug her but she stopped him.

"Wait. There's more."

At the side of the bag was a voucher. He read it then looked at her. "What do I need to get a tux for?"

"For my dad's company opening. It's a formal party and since my dad is the director of the Japanese branch, I can invite whoever I want."

Matt groaned. He wasn't really fond of formal attire.

Mimi nudged him and chuckled. "Aw, come on. I'm sure you'll look very handsome in it."

"Yeah, yeah." He placed it on the scarf and grabbed another bundle. It was a black four-button Henley. "Wow, did you make this too?"

Mimi giggled. "I'm not _that_ good. No, that, I bought."

"Why, thank you. I'll look hot in this for sure." He grinned.

Mimi laughed. "Hoping to reel in those fan girls, are you?"

"Are you kidding? They're already all over me… it gets annoying, really." Matt sighed as he dug into the bag. He unwrapped a leather folder with a silver clasp and a fountain pen. He peered inside and there was a set of blank music sheets. His name was printed at the corner of each sheet.

Before he could say anything, she spoke. "For your music. I know you write your own songs, and I thought that it might be useful to you…"

He felt through the thick pages. "And you had my name printed on them?"

"Well… yeah…" Mimi shrugged a shoulder and smirked. "Hope you like them."

"Of course! It's what every musician needs. Now, every time I write a song, I'll be thinking of you."

Mimi blushed slightly. She averted her gaze and chuckled nervously. "Well, maybe next time, you can dedicate a song to me." She said jokingly.

"It's a promise."

Before she could say anything, he pulled out the last gift wrapped in white tissue paper. It was a mahogany brown leather box with a small golden plate towards the opening. There, his name was inscribed: _'Ishida Yamato'_. He opened it.

Wedged between the dark green velvet cushion was a brand new harmonica. Inside there was a note in Mimi's cursive handwriting:

'_May you never forget the talent you were born with.  
~Always, Mimi'_

Matt's fingers traced every inch of the harmonica. He turned it this way and that, memorizing every detail of it. His face was serious. Mimi thought that maybe he didn't like it, or that maybe remembering the past angered him, but she was unsure.

She extended her arm to touch his bare shoulder, but before her hand could make contact, he had already taken her into his strong arms in a tight embrace.

Mimi gasped in surprise. She hadn't expected him to do that at all. "M-Matt…?"

Her whole body grew hot from his touch. Feeling his bare skin against her body made her hairs stand on end and her heart hammer chaotically against her chest. She could hear nothing but her own heartbeat. The silence made her tense and the heat of their bodies was stifling. She let another gasp escape her lips, softer this time, as her breathing became heavier. She inhaled his scent. He smelled like a _man_. She felt like she was going to lose all reason.

"A million 'thank yous' aren't enough to express what I'm feeling right now…"

Mimi was distracted by the sound of his voice and her body became more comfortable. His voice always had that effect on her. She lifted her arms and slowly wrapped them around his waist. Her hands lingered on the hard muscles of his back. With a smile, she spoke softly, "There's no need for you to say anything…"

Matt's arms tightened around her. "You've brought the past back to me. It's been too long. I've been so caught up in the present that I haven't spared a thought for what's really important to me."

Mimi detached her arms and took a deep breath. He realized this and immediately let her go. "Sorry…"

Mimi chuckled. "Don't be. I'm just glad you like it. We've all focused too much on the now that we forgot to look at the things that really mattered. It's not just you. I'm guilty of it too."

"I…" He reached his hand to touch her face, but instead it landed on her shoulder. "Thank you… so much."

She smiled. "Don't mention it. It's the least I could do after abandoning you all for three and a half years."

"Well, it's not like we made an effort to contact you either. I guess over the years, we all sort of just grew apart…" He looked at her sadly.

Her eyes softened. "Well I guess we're even."

He cleared his throat. "Well, since we're dealing with presents, I have the second half of yours. Nice and finished."

"Really?" Mimi eyed him with curiosity. "What is it?"

"You'll find out. Meet me at this address at 7 p.m. and you'll get your present there." He scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

Mimi cocked an eyebrow. "Highton View Terrace?"

"Yeah, that building is where we have our band practice. You know where it is, right?"

She nodded, looking at the paper again. "I think so."

"So you'll meet me there?"

"I guess I will."

"Good. Then I'll see you tonight."

Mimi got up and made her way to the door. He followed her.

"Thank you, again."

She turned to face him with a smile. "You're welcome." She bent over to put on her sandals.

Matt's eyes traveled from her nape, down her back, and to her buttocks. That nightie was dangerously short. At the sight of light pink lace, he held his breath, afraid of the sound that might threaten to come out. He felt himself hardening and quickly brought her sweater up towards her, covering her line of sight. "Here's your sweater."

Mimi got up and looked at him. "Oh yeah. I almost forgot."

He withdrew it. "Or do you want me to wash it…?"

"Oh no, it's okay. It's not dirty." She took the sweater from him.

He looked down, embarrassed. "Sorry about that."

Mimi couldn't help but giggle. "Oh Matt." She got on her tiptoes as she leaned up to wrap her arms over his shoulders.

He hugged her back. "Did I tell you how glad I am now that you're back?"

"I believe you did. First day of school."

They chuckled as they pulled away from each other. "I guess I'll see you later."

"I'll be waiting." He watched her as she closed the door to her apartment. He took a deep breath and sighed. "Time for a cold shower."

---------------

_End of Chapter 5_

(**A/N:** Ooh, a lot of Mimato goodness here. Well, not really… but I created enough tension, right? Hope it answers some of your questions from the previous chapter. Please take a moment of your time to review!)


	6. Chapter 6 Always By Your Side

(**Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon, its characters, nor the whole plot. I also don't completely own the lyrics to Matt's song. I'm saying it now, so don't sue me. Take note that this is MIMATO so if you're not a fan, don't read it. I respect those who are not fans of this couple, but I will not tolerate spamming and flames from them.)

Matt, Tai, Sora – 17 (Juniors)  
Mimi, Koushiro, Michael – 16 (Juniors)  
TK, Kari, Daisuke – 14 (Freshmen)  
Ken, Miyako – 15 (Sophomores)  
Jou – 18 (Senior)  
Iori – 13 (Third year middle school)

_**Hearts and Daggers**_

**Chapter 6: Always by Your Side**

Apartment 107

Soon after Mimi closed the door, Michael came up to her. "Where were you?"

Mimi was startled. "Oh, I was at Sora's."

He eyed her carefully. "In your nightie?"

She started taking off her sandals. "Well I didn't have time to shower and dress up. She had something she had to do."

"So you guys went to her place, then she dropped you off and drove back home again?" He frowned.

Mimi nodded. "Yup. That's it."

"But why would she do that? Didn't you say she had something to do?"

"Yeah, so? She missed me. Our morning was interrupted by you after all. Is that a problem?" She rested her hand on her hip.

Michael knew that when Mimi took that stance, it was time to shut up. "No, sorry. I was just worried when you didn't say anything before you left."

"Well, am I supposed to ask your permission?" She turned her back on him and started heading up the stairs.

He followed her, raising his voice. "What the hell is your problem? Are you PMSing or something?"

"What?" Mimi turned to look at him.

"You're giving me a goddamn attitude!"

"Don't yell at me in my own house!" Her eyes stabbed through him like icy needles.

Michael was taken aback. Mimi had never snapped at him like that. There was a silence between them, and then Mimi stormed into her room. Michael cleared his throat as he made his way downstairs. "It's not even a damn house…" He mumbled to himself.

"It's a town house!" She yelled from inside her room.

Inside her room, Mimi gripped her sweater in her hands. Then, remembering what she had used it for, she hugged it, tears springing into her eyes. She looked back at what had happened and smiled before throwing it into her closet. The very thought of Matt lifted her spirits up.

She tidied up before stripping down and heading to the shower.

---------------

Sunday was as uneventful as ever. Mimi had nothing to do except help Michael unpack his stuff and organize his things.

Two hours before seven o'clock that evening, she started getting ready. She slipped into a black racerback tank dress with a lined crochet skirt starting at the hips and hitting above her knees. It has a white tie belt which she tied into a ribbon. She left her hair down in neat wavy locks, applied some light makeup, and put on her diamond stud earrings before grabbing her clutch purse and making her way downstairs.

"Michael?" She peeked into the living room where Michael lounged on the sofa.

No answer. _He must be taking a nap…_

She scribbled something for him on a notepad and left it on the kitchen counter. She stepped into her three-inch platform black and white piped canvas escadrilles and locked the door on her way out.

Michael's eyes shot open and he stared intently at the door Mimi had just disappeared from. He sat up on the couch and walked to the kitchen. He picked up the notepad.

'_Michael,  
I'm going out for a bit. Be back later.  
Love you, Mimi'_

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a note with his own handwriting. It was the address Matt had given Mimi.

His light blue eyes narrowed.

---------------

Maybe she was a little paranoid about it. It's not like she was going on a date, but she still got all dressed up for it. She gripped the wheel of her silver Porsche 911 Turbo and looked at the time. It was ten minutes to seven o'clock. She was way too early. If she went in now, she would seem too eager.

She stayed in the car for a while, admiring its leather interior. It had been the first time she took it out for a drive and it was dangerously fast. She worried if the car made her look too flashy. But it's not like she had a choice. She'd take her lime-green Volkswagen Beetle if Michael had brought it with him like he promised. She reminded herself to ask him about it when she got home.

She checked her time. It was exactly 7 p.m. She took a deep breath and entered the building Matt's band practiced at.

Matt and his band were finishing up the last song when he spotted Mimi. He gestured for her to take a seat. As soon as the song finished, he put his bass guitar down and hopped off the stage.

"Hey, Matt! Where are you going?" One of his band mates called out.

He called back without taking his eyes off of Mimi. "You guys go ahead. I'm gonna stick around."

"Damn, new girlfriend?"

Both Matt and Mimi blushed and said, "No… we—" They stopped and Matt continued. "This is Mimi, my old friend who's been living in New York. She just moved back last week and it was her party I went to last night."

"That's too bad. She's hot…" One of them started. "Are you single?"

Before Mimi could answer, Matt answered for her. "No. She has a boyfriend." His expression became serious as he shot the members a look.

They nodded. "It was nice to meet you, Mimi. We hope to see you around."

Mimi smiled and waved at them. "Bye…"

Matt turned to face her once again. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay."

There was a short silence between them as Matt took a short time looking at Mimi. _God Mimi… why do you have to look so beautiful?_ He eyed her long creamy legs, nicely shaped hips, tiny waist, and full breasts. He watched her eager face as her long dark lashes batted slowly, her cheeks flushed just the right color and her lips were as moist and rosy as ever. It took a lot out of him not to take her in his arms and plunge his lips against hers. He imagined how soft they would feel.

"Matt?"

"Oh, right. On to your present." He grabbed her free hand and led her to the stage.

"W-Wait a second, Matt… you're not gonna make me sing, are you?"

Matt chuckled. "That would be like a present to _me_. No, I just want you to sit here."

In the middle of the stage, there were two chairs and leaning on one of the chairs was an acoustic guitar.

Upon seeing the guitar, Mimi's heart skipped a beat. She knew that Matt was the vocalist and bass player for his band, and that he also knew how to play acoustic and electric guitar. But, Matt preferred not to play acoustic for anybody unless it was for a special reason.

Was this a special reason? Was _she_ a special reason? Mimi wasn't sure.

She took the seat opposite the one with the guitar. There was about four feet between them. He grabbed the instrument and sat down, a microphone leaning low from the side towards him.

"I started working on this the day you came back, but it took a while… I meant to finish it in time for the party but I couldn't make the deadline."

Mimi smiled. "It's okay. I gave you your present the same day you're giving me mine, so it's even."

"You're right." He chuckled. "Well here goes. I wrote this just for you."

He propped the guitar on his knee and positioned his fingers. He strummed gently and a peaceful melody broke through the silence of the building. Then he opened his lips and sang from the soul. The most beautiful sound, his voice.

'_Without saying anything, _

_I'm right by your side at anytime_

_Gently tell me your sad thoughts_

_Because I'm listening._

'_If my inability to express  
things well troubles you, then close_

_your eyes and gently entrust me_

_Because I'll embrace you._

'_Within the passing seasons, now_

_There is one certain thing inside of my chest._

'_If it's to protect you_

_Then I won't regret a thing_

_Because I'll take any pain in your stead_

_I'll always be by your side._

'_Because when I learn that_

_I didn't realize your feelings_

_I want to send you_

_Everything that is within my power._

'_I match my pace with you all the time_

_Because I have still an unchanging thought now._

'_So that the warmth of when we_

_Embraced won't ever disappear_

_I'll wipe away your spilling tears_

_I'll always be by your side._

'_If it's to protect you_

_Then I won't regret a thing_

_Because I'll take any pain in your stead_

_Always smiling by your side._

'_So that the warmth of when we _

_Embraced won't ever disappear_

_I'll wipe away your spilling tears_

_I'll always be by your side.'_

His eyes were closed as he ended the song with a final strum.

Tears were freely flowing from Mimi's eyes. "Oh Matt…"

Matt set down his guitar as Mimi filled the four feet gap with her body moving towards him. He stood up and caught her body in his arms, her hands clutched onto the back of his shirt. He gently stroked her hair as a smile played across his lips. "So I take it you like your song?"

Mimi nodded as she continued to cry in his arms, her face buried in his chest.

"I mean it though." He whispered in her ear. "I'll always be by your side. No matter what."

She pulled away and looked up at him. "I know. You've always been here for me. That fact never changed. Just like how I'll always be there for you." She took a pause. "And thank you… it was beautiful…"

"Don't mention it." He imitated her response when he had thanked her.

Before he could take her back in his arms, the revving of a motorcycle roared through the parking lot.

Both Matt and Mimi looked at each other, wondering what that could possibly be. They ran down the stage and out of the building.

The rider removed his helmet and met Matt's blue eyes with his pair of lighter ones. "What the hell is going on here?"

Mimi stepped forward and stood in front of Matt. "What are you doing here, Michael?"

He scoffed. "_You're_ asking questions now? After you've been caught red-handed!"

"Caught doing what?! What the hell are you talking about?" She gripped her purse tightly as she clenched her fist.

"In the short time we've been apart, I never would've imagined you'd cheat on me. On _me_!" He hit his chest.

Mimi's mouth dropped. "Are you fucking serious?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Michael, this is Matt. You should remember him. He's the Child of Friendship, part of _my_ group. I introduced you, remember?"

"Matt? Ishida? Sora's boyfriend?" He asked.

"_Ex_-boyfriend." He interceded. "And yes, that's me."

"Oh." Was all Michael could say. He was wrong and he knew he was about to get an earful.

"Yeah. 'Oh.'" She folded her arms across her chest. One of those stances Michael always watched out for. "Now it's my turn. How the hell did you find me? Did you follow me?"

"I…" Michael tried to think of a convincing lie, but couldn't. Mimi's eyes were too piercing. He sighed. "I copied the address from the note in your sweater…"

"You went through my stuff?!" Mimi gritted her teeth. "How dare you?"

"I didn't mean to! I just wanted to know where you were this morning. I knew you were lying to me and I was afraid that you might've been cheating on me. I had to find out!" He tried to pull her towards him but she jerked him away.

Matt stood forward to protect her but she stopped him. "It's okay, Matt. I'll take care of this." She turned her icy glare to Michael. "First, you don't trust me. You go through my stuff, you follow me! Now, I'm cheating on you?! What's wrong with you?"

Michael couldn't take being humiliated in front of his rival any longer. "Well, you shouldn't have snuck out like you did! It was real shady of you. And you _refuse_ to have sex with me even though we've been together for almost three years! You can't blame me for thinking you might be looking for some other guy to screw."

Matt clenched his fist and was about to hurt the guy for saying such things to Mimi, but she beat him to it.

"It's all about sex with you, isn't it?! I told you, I'm not ready! I won't be ready until I say I'm ready! Now, if you really cared about me, you would understand that, wouldn't you? And how dare you call me a whore? You're the one who flirted around back in New York, while I waited around for you."

"What? I never—"

But before he could finish his excuse, Mimi yanked Matt's arm and pulled him in the direction of her car. Michael watched in disgust as his girlfriend took comfort in another man.

"I'm so sorry about that, Matt. It's just…" She wiped her tears. "Things are bad for us right now. Well… things have been bad for us… I'm sorry he ruined this moment."

He took out a handkerchief and handed it to her. "Here. Remember your song? I said I'd protect you."

Mimi chuckled as she wiped her tears with his handkerchief. "Yeah. Thank you, Matt."

"Anytime."

They shared one last hug goodbye before Mimi got inside her car and sped off.

He watched her silver Porsche disappear through the traffic and turned towards the entrance of the building to lock up.

Michael sat on his motorcycle, glaring daggers at him. Matt met his glare with an icy one of his own. Before Michael knew it, he had been out-glared. "You better watch yourself, Ishida."

"I could say the same for you, Washington. You better not hurt Mimi."

He snorted as he put his helmet on and revved his motorcycle. "She's mine. I can do with her as I please." But before Matt could do anything about it, he sped out of sight.

Matt clenched his fist. How dare that American bastard say such things about Mimi? He hoped that sooner or later, Mimi would realize who the right guy for her is. He'll show Michael what a true man really is. He scoffed at the thought. _No contest._

He walked back into the building and pulled the heavy door shut.

---------------

_End of Chapter 6_

(**A/N:** Here's a short chapter, but fast update. Please review.)


	7. Chapter 7 The Game

(**Disclaimer:** I don't own Digimon, its characters, nor the plot. Take note that this is MIMATO so if you're not a fan, don't read it. I respect those who are not fans of this couple, but I will not tolerate spamming and flames from them.)

Matt, Tai, Sora – 17 (Juniors)  
Mimi, Koushiro, Michael – 16 (Juniors)  
TK, Kari, Daisuke – 14 (Freshmen)  
Ken, Miyako – 15 (Sophomores)  
Jou – 18 (Senior)  
Iori – 13 (Third year middle school)

(**A/N:** Finally! I made sense of my writing enough to get this long awaited chapter up. It took a million years but I hope I haven't lost my readers. For taking so long, I hope this chapter meets your expectations. I'm also a bit overdue with the new chapter of _The Maiden._ I swear I'll get to that as soon as I can. This chapter is dedicated to PrincessJaded for all her support. The reviews have also been a great help and I appreciate everybody who added me on their favorites and alerts. Thank you all! You are an awesome bunch of people, and extra kudos for those who took their time to review my stories!)

_**Itekimasu:**__ "I'm leaving."_

_**Itterashai:**__ "Come back safely."_

_**Shochu: **__a distilled spirit with alcohol content between 20-40%. Commonly made from rice, sweet potatoes, wheat and/or sugar cane. Usually served mixed with water and ice, fruit juice and sparkling water, or oolong tea._

_**Dorama: **__Japanese drama; soap opera._

_**Hearts and Daggers**_

**Chapter 7: The Game**

A week had passed since Michael showed up, and Mimi still hadn't forgiven him for what happened at the warehouse Sunday night.

It was an embarrassing scene; one she hoped her friends would never have to see. Still only one day in and Michael had already started making an ass out of himself.

Fortunately, the whole week flew by and all throughout, Mimi tried her best to be patient with her arrogant boyfriend.

Every night, she lay in bed and thought about the day's events, but to her dismay, nothing seemed to have changed. It was even worse at school since they were all in the same class and Michael sat on the opposite side of the room from the foursome.

Mimi swore she caught him throwing icy glares at Matt and she didn't like it. Not one bit.

Especially since there was nothing for Michael to be jealous about. She wasn't cheating on him. She wouldn't.

---------------

The following Friday was the first soccer game of the semester. Because of the hype, there wasn't much time for all of the Digidestined to get together and hang out. Sora and Kari stopped by a couple of times but never for a long time.

Not as long as Michael was there. He hung around Mimi like bees to a honeycomb. Mimi was getting irritated with it as well.

She let out an exasperated sigh and turned to Michael who was about two inches away, kitchen knife in hand. "How long do you intend on sticking to me, Michael? This is ridiculous!" She waved the knife around in annoyance.

"Whoa! Be careful where you swing that thing!" Michael grabbed her wrist and pushed it down, and away from him. "And I'll stop when I know that punk, Ishida, is keeping his eyes to himself."

Mimi furrowed her eyebrows as she set the knife down, her hand now resting on her hip. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about _him_ eyeing you like a damn hawk! He's got his eyes on you every time you're around him and it's really bugging the heck out of me! I know he likes you, I can feel it."

Mimi rolled her eyes at him and grabbed the knife. "Oh, give it a rest. This jealousy thing is really getting on my nerves."

He grabbed her by the shoulder and gripped. "I'm telling you, Mimi. I know it when I see it. He definitely wants you and I'm pretty sure he'd fight me over it. I swear, if he makes a move on you, I'll kick his sorry ass…"

She slapped his hand away. "First of all, you've got your feelings all screwed up. Matt is one of my best friends! And secondly, this whole jealousy thing you have going on is just your insecurities playing around with you."

"Insecurities? What are you going on about? I'm Michael. I don't get insecure about anything. I'm good at everything I do and everyone loves me for it. You love me for it."

Mimi lifted the knife and pointed it at him. "The Michael I love isn't the Michael standing before me acting like a jealous little boy."

"I told you already—"

She slammed the knife down. "And I told you to give it a rest. Your arrogance is disgusting. Seriously, stop pissing me off."

Her eyes stabbed through him like needles. It made him shiver. "Geez, Mimi, since when did you get so… bitchy? You're kind of scary like this…"

"Well you should be scared. You live in my apartment and I cook your damn meals. On top of that, you haven't done a damn thing for me, so yeah, be scared because one more mistake and you're out. I mean it," she told him as she picked up the knife and proceeded chopping some vegetables. "Now, make yourself useful and set the table. I've no patience for you today."

"What the fuck? Wha—"

"And watch your language. I've heard enough of it for three years."

Michael cursed under his breath as he set the table. He dared not mess with Mimi when she was like that. It would be like hugging a vicious jungle cat. She'd tear him apart. No, he wouldn't mess with her, especially since he owed her something that she hadn't had a chance to figure out yet. And that counts as one mistake. He would never let Mimi go. Because that would mean Matt won her. He'd never let that happen. To him, there was only room for one blond, and Matt was in the way.

---------------

After dinner, Michael ran up to his room, leaving Mimi to clean everything up. Mimi sighed knowing that fighting with him over it wouldn't change a thing. She tried to think about the upcoming game as she put the plates in the dishwasher and put the condiments away. There were no leftovers because she always only cooked for two nowadays. She sighed again.

Upstairs, Michael made sure Mimi was busy before taking out his iPhone and dialing an all too familiar number.

It rang.

"Yeah, hey. I need a favor."

He listened.

"Yeah, it's about that. See… she gave me an ultimatum."

He was interrupted. His expression changed to annoyance.

"No, she doesn't know! She would've kicked me out of her life already."

He calmed down.

"Do you think you could go talk to her parents about it for me? You know, sugarcoat things a little? Maybe they'll get her a new car or something. It might make her forget about that ugly car I wrecked. After all, I've totaled her cars before and each time, she got to pick a brand new one. I say that's not such a bad deal. Don't you think so?"

He chuckled.

"Thanks, dad. Wouldn't know what I'd do without you."

He put his phone away and left his room. "Hey, I'll do the dishes for you," he called out as he walked down the stairs.

Mimi's irritated expression stood out to him as she passed by him. "Thanks for coming down when everything's all cleaned up. The dishwasher will take care of those dishes for you."

He looked back at her as she made her way to her room. "Then I'll put those away…" He sighed. _That girl, seriously._

Michael clapped his hands together and smiled as he waited for the dishwasher to do its job. _I sure hope Dad comes through for me, like he does all the time._ He chuckled to himself.

---------------

And Michael was right. His father did come through. He recalled the moment it had all come to fruition.

_The phone rang and Michael made sure Mimi was the one to answer._

"_Hey, Daddy. What's up?"_

_Mimi's eyes widened as she listened. "What? Daddy, how could you sell my car?!"_

_Michael looked at her and mouthed if everything was okay. She put her father on speaker._

"_I'm sorry, darling, but I saw a car that I felt will suit you much better."_

"_I don't understand. You sold my car so you can get me another car? I mean didn't you just get me a Porsche? What's going on, Daddy?"_

"_Well that Porsche was your homecoming present. Michael's father saw this new one and thought you would love it so I proposed we trade in your old car for this one. It's a vintage."_

_Before Mimi could react badly to the mere mention of Michael's name, her eyes lit up. "A vintage? What kind? What does it look like?"_

"_A convertible, of course. I couldn't pick between a black exterior with a pink champagne interior, and a pearl exterior with a red interior. Now, take your pick, sweetheart."_

_Mimi almost fell off her seat in excitement. "You know I love pink, but I'm more of a white than black person."_

"_It's a deal then. I'll arrange for it to be delivered here right away. I trust you'll be picking it up in a few days?"_

"_Thanks, Daddy! Let me know when it gets there."_

"_Sure thing, honey. I love you."_

"_I love you, too, Daddy. See you later."_

The conversation was like music to Michael's ears. She'd confronted him about it afterwards, and his excuse was that he wanted to make it up to her, and he knew she loved vintage.

She fell for it.

He held in his laughter while the teacher lectured the class. He looked back to where Mimi sat and winked at her. She smiled back at him.

The whole car deal made her much nicer to him and that's exactly what he needed to pull her away from Matt. Until she got her car, he promised himself he'd be sweet to her in order to prove to her that his intentions were good.

He just loved how she kept falling for it.

---------------

Yagami Residence

Kari sat on her bed in her bathrobe and stared at the outfit Mimi had picked for her the day before. She slipped on the yellow skinny jeans and white ruched babydoll top and sat at her vanity.

She stared at the various cosmetics before her. She wasn't a makeup-wearing girl but Mimi had insisted on buying a set for each of the girls.

She sighed. "How am I supposed to put all of this on without Mimi's help?"

Then her pocket vibrated. It was her Softbank Internet machine 922SH cell phone in pink, a cell phone shared by TK in white, Daisuke in black, and Miyako in champagne.

It was a text message from TK. She smiled. He said he was on his way to her place.

She put on the yellow headband with the bow on the right side and applied her makeup the way she remembered Mimi had done it. She grabbed her new digital camera and slipped her phone in her back pocket before grabbing her new flats and heading down the stairs.

"Mom, TK's outside. We're leaving," she called out as she slipped her flats on.

"Do you need a ride?" her mother asked as she dried her hands on her apron.

"It's okay, mom. Itekimasu."

"Itterashai." She shut the door after her daughter stepped out and watched as she ran to where TK was waiting.

"Hey, TK. Thanks for coming to get me."

"Wow, Kari, you've been looking real different lately," he said as they walked side by side.

"Sorry. Is it bad?" She looked away shyly.

"I like it." He smiled at her and watched as her cheeks grew rosier.

There was an awkward silence between them. They never openly talked about how they felt about each other because to them, it could always wait. They kept walking in silence, and just when they thought the silence would drag on, they were already at the school gates.

Odaiba Gakuen

"I see the others." TK pointed. "Let's go," he said as he grabbed Kari's hand and ran towards their friends.

Daisuke spotted the pair holding hands and instantly he grabbed Kari's other hand. "We should hurry or we might not get good seats." He pulled Kari along and as soon as her fingertips slipped away from TK's, the smile in her eyes faded.

She cleared her throat. "We're here now, Dai… you can let go now."

"Oh, sorry." He blushed as he slowly released her hand.

TK and Iori caught up to the two. TK looked around for any sign of their other friends. Jou and Koushiro were sitting on the other side of the bleachers, with clear view of the whole field. TK smiled at the thought of the two arriving early.

"Miyako's over there, talking to Ken." Iori pointed at the gate outside the locker rooms where Miyako and Ken were talking.

"I'm sure they'd like their privacy so let's go and sit with Jou and Kou," Kari said as she started heading towards the two, followed by TK, then Iori, then Daisuke, who was snickering as he saw Ken hug a nervous Miyako.

Girls' Locker Rooms

Mimi looked at herself in her green and white sleeveless cheerleading uniform. It sparkled. She retouched her makeup and tied her wavy hair up in a stylish side bun. She tied the green and white ribbons around it and grabbed her pompoms before heading out, ahead of everyone. Sora was waiting for her.

"How do I look?" she asked Sora nervously.

Sora smiled and touched her cheek. "The best, as usual."

"Oh, but look at you! You wore the outfit I picked for you!" Mimi exclaimed as she took in Sora's appearance. She wore a pair of gray low rise skinny jeans, and a red ruffle-neck top that frilled to the brim. She had bangles on each wrist and her hair was styled in cute pigtails. She wore black and white flip flops with the rest of her outfit. Mimi couldn't help but feel proud of her.

"Of course. I didn't want to make you sad. I got the hang of the makeup thing too." She smiled.

"Thanks," Mimi said as she took a deep breath.

Sora grabbed her trembling hands. "Oh, Mimi. This isn't the first time you cheered, so why are you nervous?"

"Sorry. It's just… it's my first time cheering here. It's a bit different for me. Different crowd, different team. I just hope I can keep up." She looked away.

Sora patted her shoulder. "There's nothing for you to be worried about. I've seen your cheers and I gotta tell you, you make me wanna play for keeps."

Before Mimi could retort, Sora gave her a hug. "Now, you go out there and show our team what spirit is all about."

"Thanks, Sora. Wish me luck."

Sora gave her back on last rub before breaking off. "You don't need it."

With that she left Mimi to herself. Mimi got back in the locker rooms to warm up with the rest of her team. It was her time to shine and she was not going to ruin this moment.

---------------

Outside, Sora took out her flowing amber-colored NTT DoCoMo Sony Ericsson SO703i. She flipped it open and dialed Matt's phone number.

"_Yeah, this is Matt."_

Sora swallowed. "Um, hey, Matt, this is Sora. I just wanted to know if you were gonna make it in time for the game."

"_I'm looking for parking right now. The equipment's been set up at the stage so I'll join you guys as soon as I get there."_

"Okay, good luck finding parking."

"_Tell me about it. Bye."_

Sora put her phone away and took a deep breath. She ran to the bleachers where her friends were all gathered, talking amongst themselves as they waited for the game to begin.

---------------

It took Matt a while to find parking. He cursed himself for being late. When he finally found parking, he made his way to the girls' locker rooms, to wish Mimi luck.

He spotted her outside, waiting for the rest of her team to come out. He waved at her direction.

"Mimi!" he called out to her.

Their eyes met and she smiled. She waved back at him and ran to his direction. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to wish you luck," he said with a hug. "I'm sure you'll be great."

Mimi returned his hug with a little eagerness. His warm embrace always did lift her spirits. "Thanks. I hope you're right."

As they said their last words, Michael stepped out of the shadows. "Well what do we have here?"

They both turned to look at him, smiles fading from their lips. "Washington."

"Ishida," he said, an irritated smirk upon his lips.

"Michael, what are you doing here?" Mimi asked.

He frowned slightly. He tried not to show her how more irritated he was becoming. "Am I not allowed to wish _my_ girl good luck? He gets to be here but I don't?"

"That's not what I meant, Michael. Why do you always have to make everything into a fight?"

Matt stood there in silence, watching them quarrel.

"This day is important to me. I'm nervous enough as it is, and you arguing with me isn't making things better." Leave it to Michael to ruin a moment.

The players piled out of the boys' locker room, waiting for the gate to open.

"I should go," Matt commented as he looked towards the players.

_Yeah, you should._ That's what Michael would've said but he held his tongue.

"Oh, sorry, Matt." Mimi felt bad. He was always the one to see her spats with Michael.

He touched her shoulder. Michael cringed. "Don't be nervous. Just remember who you're cheering for."

"The team. Tai and Ken. I remember. Thanks, Matt. I feel better." She smiled at him as he left for the bleachers.

Michael gave her a look. "So, he made you feel better when I made you feel like crap, huh?"

She turned to him abruptly. "Michael, don't start. If you ruin this for me, you're gone."

Michael swallowed. That was exactly what he didn't want to hear. He better make a few calls halfway into the game for security. "Sorry, babe. I was just a little… _insecure_." He used the word she kept throwing at him for added effect.

"It's okay." She went up to him and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for coming to wish me luck."

She left with the rest of her team as the gate opened leaving a smiling Michael to himself.

---------------

"Hey, guys!" Sora said as she took a seat next to Miyako. "You took Mimi's advice too, huh?" She asked as she eyed Miyako's ponytailed hair, her new side swept bangs hanging off on the sides, framing her face, the way Mimi used to. She had on a lavender eyelet top with white crop pants and matching flats.

"Yeah! If Mimi says it looks good, I believe her." Miyako replied with fire in her excited eyes.

Sora couldn't help but chuckle. "All of us girls have been changed by Mimi. I'm still a little uncomfortable with it, but I think I'm starting to like it."

"We all like it." Daisuke interceded. They all laughed until they heard the sound of the gates opening and the players ran in the field.

Matt ran in and sat at the edge where Sora saved a seat for him. "Did I miss much?"

Sora turned to him. "No, it's just starting. Nice to see you made it in time."

Matt huffed. "Parking was a nightmare. I hope no one dents my car."

Sora chuckled and they both looked to the field where the cheerleaders made their entrance. The players and the cheerleaders huddled before the defenders, the mid-fielders, and the forwarders got into position.

They started their first cheer before the game started and had been cheering occasionally throughout the game.

Halftime

Matt and his band members made their way to the stage. Matt grabbed his bass guitar and stood before the microphone. He tapped it a few times before opening his lips. "Hello, everybody. We are honored to perform before you tonight. We are the Teenage Wolves."

The music started and the sound of rock music filled the air. As usual, the crowd, both home and visitor went wild. Matt's voice and music always had that kind of effect on people. The performance ended and the crowd yelled for an encore. Sadly, it was no concert and the second half of the game was about to begin.

Matt's band got off stage and the team made their way back in the field.

The onslaught of cheers and jeers filled the soccer field as the players juggled the ball from team to team. Their scores were tied and the game was coming to a close.

"_Ichijouji, the boy genius, has the ball... whoa! A kick to the shin and Ichijouji's down!"_

The crowd booed as Ken fell down, holding his shin. There was a trace of blood soaking through his white socks as team members rushed over to help him.

Miyako gasped and got up off her seat. "Ken!"

The others grabbed Miyako, assuring her that Ken would be okay.

Tai held onto Ken's shoulders. "Hey, you okay? How bad is it?"

"Sorry, Tai… I don't think I can end this game with you. I can't stand." He clutched his shin.

Tai gritted his teeth. "That bastard… I'll get him."

"No, Tai, don't." He grabbed Tai's arm. "You can finish this. You know you can. It's all on you now, Captain."

Tai was taken aback. Ken was a kind young man but he never once called Tai captain. Tai smirked, "Of course, I can. I'll win this for sure."

Ken smiled back at him as the rest of the team made their way back to the field.

As the seconds ticked by, Tai made use of Ken's sacrifice. Tai was never graceful with anything but the field belonged to him. He stole the ball from the jackass who deliberately kicked Ken and made his way towards the opposite side of the field.

"_Yagami stole the ball and he's doing it! He's gracefully moving through each player… the crowd is growing restless. He's gaining speed! Closer, and closer… and Yagami for the win!!"_ The buzzer sounded. _"Odaiba Gakuen is the victor!"_

There was a standing ovation from the home crowd as the players jumped at each other in excitement. They lifted Tai into the air, cheering his name.

Tai got off and ran towards the injured Ken. "Come on." He lifted Ken to his feet and supported his weight. Tai let out a bellow and the players cheered for both him and his co-captain.

The Chosen Children ran towards Tai and Ken but Miyako reached Ken before any of them did.

She grabbed him from Tai and sat him down on the nearest bench. "Ken, oh gosh, are you all right? Has the bleeding stopped? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Miyako was frantic. Ken smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm fine, Miya. Don't worry, it's not serious."

Miyako froze on the spot, like she always did whenever he kissed her. Everyone laughed at her. Mimi came running towards the group with glee in her eyes. "Congratulations!!" She jumped up and hugged Tai. "The winning goal!"

Tai was caught off guard, but still held onto Mimi's waist. His cheeks had gone rosy at their close and unusual proximity. "I know! And it was all because of your cheers! Thanks, Meems."

Mimi giggled. It was so rare for Tai to give her a compliment. The first time was back on the first day of school.

Mimi hugged each and every one of her friends. When it was Matt's turn, he whispered into her ear. "See? I knew you could do it. That was an amazing cheer."

She blushed, not knowing how to feel in his arms. "It was all because of you." And she meant it.

"So, what now? The game is over. What's the plan?"

They broke from their embrace and turned to the others. "Hm… how about—"

"Actually, I have a little something in mind for my fellow Chosen Children." Michael stepped out from the shadow of the crowd, interrupting Tai.

Tai looked at him, "Why are you always stepping out of shadows? What are you sneaking around like a little rat for?"

Everybody else but Mimi and Matt chuckled. Matt was looking intently at him, trying to figure out what he was up to. Mimi slightly frowned and asked, "And what is it that you have planned for my friends, Michael? Nothing shady, I hope?"

"Of course not. Not as shady as you and Ishida, here, embracing outside the locker rooms." He sneered at Matt, but upon seeing Mimi's murderous glare, he added, "Joke."

"Well that was a bad one," Sora said, glaring at him.

Michael deviously smiled at her. "Why, Sora, how nice of you to speak to me again. You haven't said a word to me since we met that morning. How've you been?"

"Michael." Mimi's fists were clenched. "_What_ do you want?" Her voice was full of suppressed anger.

"Oh," he chuckled. "Sorry, my bad. I saw the shopping list on the fridge and it was labeled 'After Game Party' so I thought I'd do the shopping for you. I also took it upon myself to hold the party in Highton View Terrace. Ishida, you should be _very_ familiar with this place."

"Really. How convenient for you."

She stood next to him and whispered, "What are you trying to pull?"

"It's like a peace offering. Nothing bad, I promise." He winked at her.

Mimi turned away from him. "I hope for your sake, you're right." She turned to her friends and gave them a weak smile. "I'm going to the locker rooms to change. Meet you guys outside the school."

Michael smiled. "I'll go on ahead." He handed Tai a piece of paper. "Here, Captain. The address." And with that, he took his leave, a dirty smirk on his face.

Tai read the scribble on the paper and frowned. "Dude, Matt, isn't this where your warehouse is at?"

"Give me that." Matt took the piece of paper from Tai and frowned. "What's that asshole up to?"

"Let's go and find out," Sora said.

Koushiro cleared his throat. "Sadly, I won't be there to witness such a spectacle."

"Same with me." Jou said.

Tai looked at them questioningly. "Why?"

"As much as I'd like to involve myself in what may turn out to be a disaster, I have priorities that need taking care of."

"Yeah, Shin and I are doing something for Dad tomorrow morning so I need to head out early."

"That's too bad…" Sora said. "This would've been fun with all of us."

"Sorry."

"I can't stick around too," Ken said, referring to his shin.

"And I'm going with him," Miyako added.

Kari hated to be the bearer of bad news. "And mom expects me to be home after the game."

"Me too," TK confessed.

"Aw, man, it's Friday night!" Tai said in disbelief.

Matt shrugged. "I guess the younger ones all need to be home."

"Do you guys need a ride?" Sora asked them.

Koushiro volunteered. "We'll take them."

"Okay, I guess we should head out then. Who knows what that jerk will do to your warehouse," Tai said. "I'll change real quick. Meet you guys outside."

The group dispersed, leaving Matt and Sora alone. They walked towards the school gates in awkward silence until Sora broke it.

"How was Karuizawa?" she asked without looking at him.

He glanced at her. "It was good. There were a lot of celebrities there. I honestly don't know how my band ever managed that kind of trip. It was a celebrity resort after all. I felt pretty lucky."

"Wow, Matt. You're really stepping up. I'm proud of you."

He smiled. "Thanks, Sora. I appreciate it."

She blushed, avoiding his gaze. "I'll always be rooting for you. No matter where you go in life."

"Same here."

Tai came running towards them with a duffel bag on his muscular shoulder. "We ready to go?"

"Whoa, that was fast," Matt said, turning to him with his hands in his pockets.

"Slow down, Tai. We just got here. Mimi hasn't even gotten here yet. She's probably still changing."

Mimi didn't really put much thought in her appearance. She changed and left with her cheerleading duffel bag. Nevertheless, her outfit was planned the night before. She wore a black and white horizontally striped tube top with a sweetheart neckline, a wrap front layer and a front tied bow, a pair of dark blue denim shorts, and her flat studded almost gladiator-like leather sandals with ankle straps. She had removed the bows off her hair, but kept it in its stylish updo.

She walked out of the locker rooms and headed toward the gate to see the three of her friends.

"Hey, you okay? That was a fast change," Sora remarked.

"Yeah, I didn't want to keep you guys waiting." She looked at the others. "Are we going now?"

"Yeah, let's go," Tai said. "Remember the way to Matt's warehouse?"

"Of course," Sora said as she and Mimi walked towards the parking lot where they had parked their cars.

Tai made his way to his car, while Matt headed to the alley where his car was.

Highton View Terrace – Teenage Wolves' Warehouse

Michael sat at the edge of the stairs, enjoying the scene. The players from the soccer game, both home and opposing were both there, having a blast, drinking and dancing. His own friends were there, enjoying the fruit of his labors.

The big heavy metal door to the warehouse opened revealing the shocked faces of the foursome. Mimi shot Matt an apologetic look before making her way to where Michael was. The rest of them followed.

Michael stood on his feet, looking at Matt deviously. "I wasn't sure you'd come, Ishida."

"It's my band's warehouse."

Mimi grabbed Michael's arm, anger in her face. "What the hell is this? You invited the whole damn school! And this isn't even your place. What are you thinking, Michael?"

"Before you start getting all dramatic on me, let me tell you that I didn't invite all these people. Apparently, they heard me talking about it out on the field and the word spread and bam! Here they are. I guess I was followed. It's not like I could just turn them away." He shrugged.

Mimi sighed and turned to Matt. "I'm sorry, Matt…"

"It's no big deal. He didn't _purposely_ wreck the place," he said to her with a smile, and then turned to Michael with a glare. "_Yet._"

Michael chuckled. "Well hows about a game for us adults?"

"What game?" Tai asked.

"Follow and see," Michael said as he got up on the stage where a table was, a bottle of shochu on the table and seven shot glasses.

Sora stepped up and grabbed the bottle. "Shochu? What's this for?"

"For the game, of course."

Mimi frowned. "Do you know how much alcohol content is in that drink?"

"Does it matter?"

Sora glared at him. "Hello? Designated drivers. Idiot."

"Oh come on, we're not gonna drink the whole thing. It's for the game!"

"Then explain to us what this game is about," Matt demanded.

"It's a fun game. But for you and me, it's a man's game. You up to the challenge?" He smirked at Matt and sat down, flipping up five of the seven shot glasses.

Matt sat down. He would never back down from a dare.

They all nervously sat with him. Silently, they hoped they knew what they were getting themselves into.

"The game is called 'I never…'" Michael started. "You take turns saying things you've never done and anybody on the table who has…" He slammed the shot glass on the table. "…drinks. Now originally, you use your ten fingers, but hey, what's the fun in that?"

"So this is your petty man game, huh? Your silly little excuse to get drunk out of your mind?" Matt said.

"Well if you don't think you can handle it, then don't play. I'm not forcing you," Michael sneered.

"Who said you are?" Matt challenged.

"Okay, this is awkward," Tai said. "But I'll start. I never tried alcohol in my life."

Michael opened the bottle and poured into his shot glass. "Cheers." He shot it. "Next."

Sora thought for a bit and realized, this could be an opportunity for Mimi to know more about her boyfriend… in a negative sense. "I never had intimate relations with anybody."

Mimi looked around but no one drank. Michael was still grasping the shot glass, thinking whether he should betray his own game. He hesitantly reached for the bottle and took another shot from his glass. He frowned, clearly bothered. He caught on to what they were trying to do and he wasn't gonna take it lying down.

Mimi watched as he took the shot. She was hurt but for some reason, she wasn't surprised by it at all.

Matt cleared his throat. "I never made a girl feel unappreciated in her life."

Michael glared at him, knowing clearly that in several fights, Mimi had used that word against him. He took another shot. He looked around and wasn't sure if he was still sober. The room began to blur.

Mimi swallowed. "I never stole before." She tried to stray from the hostility of the game, but apparently, it had no effect.

Michael took another shot and burped. "Whoa." Subconsciously, Michael knew that taking Mimi's car and wrecking it counted as stealing since she didn't know. He coughed a couple of times before smiling. "My turn. I never had a dad who got dumped by his wife." He slid the shot glass to Matt. "Drink up, sucker."

Mimi slammed her hands on the table and got up. Before she protested, Matt poured the drink and took the shot. Then he poured more into the rest of the shot glasses and pushed them towards Michael. "Here, drink the rest. I'm sure you've done more things in your teenage years than we've had in our whole lives." He got up. "Thanks for the party."

"Jerk," Sora hissed as she and Tai got up and followed him.

Mimi glared at him. For once in her life, she felt truly sorry for Michael, but at the same time, she couldn't accept his treatment of her friends. She took the bottle and dumped it in a bin before leaving, ignoring his cries for her.

She stood on the other side of the building, where it was isolated and she could have her privacy. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She'd wanted to cry for so long, but she just wasn't physically able to shed tears for Michael. Not anymore. She stood there, feeling alone.

Matt approached her, concerned. "Hey, you okay?"

She turned to look at him, sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Matt. I didn't think it would end this way. I should've known. I'm really sorry…"

He rubbed her arm. "No, don't. Seriously, Mimi, it's not your fault. Why are you even still with him? He treats you bad and has no regards for your feelings or others'."

"It's complicated." She honestly didn't know the answer to his question. For some reason, she just couldn't bring herself to say she loved him anymore. Not to Matt. Not to herself.

The others found them and seeing the blank expression on her face, tried to reassure her that everything was okay. Amidst their chatter, they failed to notice the empty stage and Mimi's Porsche, gone.

---------------

Tai and Sora headed home afterwards. They couldn't express their apologies enough when Mimi found out her car was missing. She hadn't cried, she just stayed expressionless. The whole night went from happiness to chaos. She couldn't get it straight in her head. She didn't drink but she might as well have.

"Come on, Mimi," Matt said taking her hand. "I'll take you home."

Mimi nodded and silently followed Matt to his car. It was a silent ride home. Matt couldn't find any words to say to her. He just thought she needed time to think things through to herself. When Matt pulled into his parking spot, he peered into Mimi's spot to see it empty. He was hoping that if Michael had taken it, he would've brought it back by now.

He got out of his car and opened the door for Mimi. "Let's go."

Apartment 107

They walked to her apartment, again in awkward silence. As Mimi reached into her bag and grabbed her key, Matt tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and said, "You were amazing today."

Mimi could feel her eyes watering as she opened the door. She looked up into his clear blue eyes, full of honesty, and for the first time since the party, she smiled. "Thank you, Matt."

He kissed her forehead. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she whispered to him before entering her apartment and closing the door behind her.

She took her shoes off and went upstairs to shower. She peeked into Michael's bedroom, but he wasn't there.

After changing in her pajamas, she went downstairs and grabbed a cup, filling it with water. She sat before the television and flicked through the channels.

Moments later, her cup was empty. There was nothing interesting to watch, and she was falling asleep. Then the door opened and clicked shut. Michael was home.

He had the shochu bottle with him as he sat next to Mimi who appeared to be sleeping. He hadn't taken a drink since Mimi left but he couldn't just let the rest of the shochu go to waste.

He placed the bottle on the coffee table and leaned back to watch television. There was a dorama on and Michael had gotten into it.

"You know, you were an asshole tonight," She reprimanded, her face still buried in the throw pillow.

"You're awake. Oh Mimi, we were just havin' a little fun. It's what guys do," Michael said defensively.

"It's funny how you were the only one who had a blast."

He turned the television off and placed the remote on the coffee table. "Look, I'm sorry."

Mimi sat up. "'Sorry is getting a little old with you, Michael. You can't just throw around words you don't mean."

"I know…" He leaned back and closed his eyes.

"Where have you been?" She turned to him.

"Oh, you know… just drove around…"

"After drinking?" Mimi frowned.

"I wanted to let things simmer."

"Michael, I wanted to go home. But I couldn't because my car was missing. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, do you?" Mimi asked nonchalantly.

Michael shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe Ishida took it."

"You think so?" she asked.

"Yeah, why not. Everyone's been going gaga over your car. Maybe he wanted to take it out for a drive."

Mimi leaned over to the coffee table, opened the bottle of shochu and poured it into her glass. She filled it to the brim and spoke, "I never told a ridiculous lie to my girlfriend's face." She handed Michael the cup and added, "Drink up. Because people at the party saw _you_ take my car. Wanna play again?"

"I took it. So what? I didn't have my motorcycle and I needed to go for a drive to let some steam off. You got a ride, didn't you?"

"And that gives you the right to take my car?!" She raised her voice at him.

"You know what, Mimi? Take a valium. I'm going to bed. My head hurts."

Mimi was used to his kind of treatment. "That's because you drank more than you can handle, jerk," she barked as she left him and went to her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

---------------

_End of Chapter 7_

(**A/N: **Wow that was a long ass chapter. Took me a few days to finish, but I hope it makes a good comeback. I will be working on the next chapter so please review! Less than three reviews and I won't post the next chapter. Thanks so much to **PrincessJaded** for the awesome beta, as always!!)


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